Heart Healthy "Instant Pot" Chili Recipe

Here's a recipe that is great for a 

PLANT BASED Diet 
that is completed in an
Instant Pot! 
(this recipe can be made without an instant pot - just not as fast!)

This recipe has

NO dairy, 

NO meat & 

NO oil!  

Eating "plant base" for almost three years has really opened our eyes to the HEALTH of things! LOL! Especially after Kyle's heart attack! Excited to see that Canada is introducing this new food plate guide for 2019.  THIS is our main objective when we eat EVERY meal (meatless; of course)!  Hopefully, the United States will soon follow!  It's made a HUGE difference in our lives!

Here's a method of making a classic dish - but with a healthy twist - everyone loves a good CHILI!   Add some healthy chips, cilantro, avocado...  to enhance the flavor or (my favorite) serve it over a baked potato for a complete meal!   

Plant Based Chili

1/4 cup Vegetable broth or water
1 medium Onion; chopped
1 Bell Pepper; chopped ** red peppers are sweeter
2 Carrots; chopped
2 Celery; chopped
1 tsp Salt
3-4 cloves of Garlic; minced
2 TBSP Chili powder
2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Dried Oregano
2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 28 oz petite diced Tomatoes; pureed
1 can Pinto Beans; drained
1 can Black Beans; drained
1 can White Beans; drained
2 cups Vegetable Broth or water
2 Bay Leaves
2 TBSP Lemon
Salt & Pepper to taste

Toppings:  avocado, tortilla chips, jalapeno, cilantro... or serve over a baked potato, or air-fried potato wedges!!

In the instant pot, on SAUTE' setting - add 1/4 cup of the broth, chopped onions, garlic, bell pepper, carrots and celery until soft (5-7 minutes).  Add seasonings and stir well.  Pour in the pureed tomatoes, drained beans, vegetable broth (or water) and bay leaves. 

Switch to MANUAL mode - set for 5 minutes and cook. Following the instant pot cooking manual - leave for a natural release of 10 minutes or more. Remove lid carefully.  With an immersion blender, blend a portion of the soup, still leaving whole beans in tact (or mash with a potato masher until you get the texture you prefer).  Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.  Do a taste test to see if needs more salt or pepper and adjust accordingly.    Enjoy!

Would LOVE to hear from you and see how you prepared your plant based chili and how you served it!

Interested in making your own VEGETABLE BROTH - try this link out!  It's much better than the store bought brands - that's a promise!

Thanks for stopping by - wishing you an AWESOME day - Remember to hug the ones you love, until next time...

Heart Healthy "Instant Pot" Recipe for Quinoa Vegetable Soup

Hello!  THIS recipe does NOT have BEANS in it...  (this is for you Jenn!)  It's a Quinoa Vegetable Soup
 recipe and is one that I have shared often.  It is a quick soup to make and is very hearty!

For the month of January, I have posted 4 heart healthy instant pot recipes.  I'm working on recipes with LENTILS -  We do eat A LOT of lentils and many of you have really expressed a great interest to learn and gain recipes with lentils - SO!  Stay tuned!

The key ingredient that adds the "umph" to this soup is QUINOA.

If you haven't try some quinoa - do it this year! In an instant pot - it literally takes ZERO minutes.  In reality, about 12-15 minutes... but you program it zero minutes and then have a natural release for it to fluff up.  In this recipe, the quinoa cooks in the soup - so it's all good and quick!  Just remember to always RINSE quinoa well before cooking.

This is
 a recipe that is PERFECT for a 

PLANT BASED Diet 
that is completed in an
Instant Pot! 

(this recipe can be made without an instant pot - just not as fast!  Why purchase an instant pot?  Click here! 

This recipe has

NO dairy, 

NO meat & 

NO oil! 

Quinoa Vegetable Soup

1/4 cup of vegetable broth or water
3 cloves of Garlic; smashed
1 medium onion; chopped
1 TBSP Coconut Aminos (sub with soy sauce)
2 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar (optional)
1 28 oz. can of Diced Tomatoes; pureed
1/2 cup Quinoa; rinsed well
5 cups Vegetable Broth or water
1 large can "Veg-All" (or add left over vegetables)
2 TBSP Basil leaves; chopped
1 TBSP Sriracha
1 TBSP Lemon Juice
Salt / Pepper to taste


In the instant pot, on SAUTE' setting - add 1/4 cup of water, chopped onions and garlic; saute' for 3-5 minutes until soft.  Add everything else except the salt, pepper and lemon juice into the instant pot with the cooked garlic and onions.  Switch to MANUAL and cook 6 minutes and allow a 6-10 natural release.  

Add lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with parsley on top and serve!

Refrigerate leftovers.  This recipe is one that comes in useful during the summer with the abundance of garden vegetables that are around and needing to be consumed - just sub the "Veg-All" for 3 cups of chopped vegetables!  Also, I always puree my canned tomatoes  (it's a texture issue with my husband!).  I use an immersion blender and blend until smooth.  If you like tomatoes and prefer chunks of tomato - you do YOU!

Thanks for stopping by - wishing you an AWESOME day - Remember to hug the ones you love, until next time...

Plant-based Recipe - Bowtie Pasta Salad w/Herb-Jalpeno Pesto

Here's a recipe that is PERFECT for a 

PLANT BASED Diet!  

This recipe has

NO dairy, 

NO meat & 

NO oil!  

This healthy pasta salad is PERFECT for summer time!  It hosts bold summer flavors including fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, herbs (cilantro, basil & parsley) all in a very tasty pesto and bow-tie pasta.  It makes a lot - serve as meal with fresh fruit for dessert! 

Bowtie Pasta "Summer Time" Salad
w/Herb - Jalapeno Pesto

1 cup Fresh Parsley
1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro
1/2 cup Basil
2 Jalapeños (remove seeds and membrane)
1 Lemon; juiced
2 cloves Garlic
1 tsp Celtic Salt
1 Avocado
1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1/4 cup Sesame Seeds
1/2 pound whole grain Bow-tie Pasta
1 can Black Beans; rinsed and drained
8-10 cherry tomatoes
1 ear Fresh Corn; cut off of the cob

In a food processor, combine the herbs, jalapeños, lemon juice , garlic, avocado, pepper and salt. Process until creamy in consistency.  Add seeds; stir well. 

Bring a large pot of seasoned water* to boil. Cook the bowtie pasta until al dente (11 minutes or as package directs).  Drain and return to pot.

Add pesto to pasta and toss - Add the drained black beans, corn, sliced cherry tomatoes.  (Shhh! I sprinkled feta cheese on top of my salad!)

Serve with a side of fresh fruit or melon -  enjoy a healthy meal!

Serves: 8-10

*I always add 1 tablespoon of celtic salt and a clove or two of garlic to pasta water for seasoning. Seasoning the pasta water is the only chance you have to flavor the pasta itself!  

This salad taste great served warm or chilled. Refrigerate leftovers.  Would LOVE to hear from you and see how you prepared this recipe!  Thanks for stopping by - wishing you an AWESOME day - Remember to hug the ones you love, until next time...

Heart Healthy - 9/10 Week - GREAT NEWS!

Our Path to a Healthier Life

Hello!  Thanks for checking back with us as we travel down this path for a healthier life!

We have FABULOUS NEWS!  This lifestyle WORKS...

First, I am no doctor, nurse or ANYTHING dealing in the medical field - I am a concerned wife trying to get her husband healed and start a prevention of heart disease by serving a plant-based diet!  I didn't even know what "triglycerides" were 3 months ago!

After 10 weeks on a plant-based diet - Kyle weighs in at 218 lbs!  What a difference weight loss has made - here are pictures of Kyle - made a year apart!  Good health shows!  But the IMPORTANT thing is his blood work numbers are incredible!  It was BEYOND better than we had planned for!  

Along with Kyle's recent blood work - his doctor sent his last one done in 2014 to compare - ideally, we wanted his cholesterol and triglycerides under 150; and his LDL to be under 80.  As you can see... it truly is beyond what we had hoped for!  

How long has it been that YOU have had your blood tested and you are aware of the numbers??  

You owe yourself and your family to KNOW this information!  Looking back with Kyle's heart attack, if we had been aware of his cholesterol number - we could've changed things!  

Know your numbers!

Your blood test will divide up and give you numbers of a variety of things.  

Your HDL is the GOOD cholesterol; 

LDL is the BAD cholesterol (think lethal cholesterol).  

The triglycerides are the fatty globs that float in your blood that will cause plaque.

By eating a plant-based diet (no meat, no dairy with minimal use of sugar and salt) has significantly lowered the chance of plaque buildup in the veins.  How do we know this?  By the low cholesterol number!  Kyle is still mending - so we are opting to not consume OIL or caffeine - in hopes of healing the lining of veins and arteries.  

This lifestyle has made a HUGE difference.  I DO believe that it's made a positive effect on Kyle's health.  We will continue with this diet and help others to see that there is hope and results you can receive just by changing your diet!

This week's top pick  

HEART HEALTHY RECIPE 

for a plant-based diet  is a

Kyle's Favorite Quinoa Salad

Here is a recipe for a quinoa salad that Kyle LOVES!  This recipe is one that HE makes - its that easy!  It's even good the next day!  We serve it cold - eat it as a main meal or as a side!  Enjoy!

 Kyle's Lime Quinoa Salad

1/2 tsp. Red Pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups halved Cherry Tomatoes

1 can Black Beans; drained and rinsed

3-4 Green onions, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped Fresh Cilantro

Salt & Black Pepper 

1 cup Quinoa

2 cups Water

2 limes; juiced

2 tsp. Ground Cumin

Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until quinoa is tender (20-25 minutes)  Cool.  In a small bowl, combine lime juice, cumin, 1 tsp. salt and red pepper flakes together in a bowl.  In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, tomatoes, black beans and green onions together in a bowl.  Pour the lime dressing over quinoa salad.  Stir in cilantro - season with salt and black pepper.  Serve immediately or chill!

A question we often receive from family & friends while following a plant-based diet is:  

"How do you travel and eat while not at home with access to a kitchen?"  

Recently, Kyle traveled a week to San Antonio to a Math Convention - and here is a picture of the food that he took with him.  Yes, it took planning and cooking BUT he was able to stay on his diet with flying colors!  Breakfast was mixed in mason jars of oatmeal, chia seeds - ready for almond milk (overnight oatmeal recipe); a variety of hummus, vegetables, fruits, couscous salad, quinoa salad, triscuit crackers and bean chips.  Plus, LOTS of water!  

Kyle also requested a refrigerator for his room - did you know that you could do that at most hotels??   When eating out at a restaurant - he ordered a No meat, no dairy meal!  We have learn to look for the vegan/vegetarian plate specials.  Also to ask for dishes that fit our lifestyle! Most restaurants have a side of steamed vegetables or salads that work.   So, that is how we are learning to travel and stay on track with a plant-based diet!

Here is a link to last week's progress - here.   And if you have just started reading this - this link will take you to the beginning - here!

Thanks for stopping by and letting us share our story!  Remember to hug the ones you love the most... until next time!

Painting STRIPES on a textured wall!

Here is the "After and Before" hallway that had stripes painted on the textured walls during 2016 summer vacation!  

It proved to be a bit tricky - but this method WORKS!  I was VERY pleased with the results and will use this technique again and again!

We purchased the paint for the hallway over a year ago...  we just didn't like it on the wall after painting a small section!  After searching on PINTEREST - found a striped hallway that I liked A LOT!  So, when the boys were gone over the weekend - I used the paint along with a base white paint and redid our hallway.

Here's how:

First:  took pictures of the hallway with all the pictures up on the wall.  These pictures were later used as guides when my sweet husband replaced the framed pictures back on the wall!  We all liked the arrangement of the pictures and didn't change it!

Second step:  painted the walls and ceiling with the basic white paint AFTER scrubbing the walls and baseboards!  

Third step:  Taped off the stripes!  Used a manual level, tape measurer and metal ruler for this procedure!  There is even a phone app "level" - but I'm old... so I opted for the manual way!

  After watching the videos on YOUTUBE - learned that  horizontal stripes needed to be between 4" - 12" wide.  To use a odd amount of stripes!  To measure the area to be painted and divide by a odd number - this helps to start and end with a stripe!  That in a hallway - to leave the end wall "open" of all stripes for a "lengthening" effect.  My stripes were 12" wide and I added 5 stripes!  (I would like to add a chair rail soon just under the last stripe).

  

FROGTAPE is good!  Along with the painting tip that I'm going to show you and the frogtape - it all adds up to positive results in painting stripes on a texture wall!

Fourth Step: After the stripes were taped - this is where the magic technique comes in!
  If you have painted stripes before on textured wall - then you KNOW that the paint will ALWAYS bleed through!  
So!  Using this fact, paint the color going into the other side the same color...  My stripes were white and gold - I painted inside the gold stripes WHITE to seal the tape and if any paint bleeds over into the white stripe... you won't see it!  This techniques SEALS the tape strip.

Fifth Step:  AFTER DRYING TIME has passed, I painted the gold stripes!

Final Step:  It is also recommended to pull off tape before paint drys and I DID NOT do that - I was ready with a sharp Xacto knife to aid in cutting through paint when I removed the tape - but didn't needed too!  The tape came off smooth and clean. 

There were some bleed-throughs - but I used a small art brush with paint, and spent MAYBE 5 minutes with touch up!  I was very pleased with this technique!

Here's another picture of the hallway!  My boys were very pleased with the stripes and the clean, new hallway! 

Hope this helps...  let me know if you have any questions or come see it in person!  

Thanks for stopping by.  Remember to hug the ones you love the most... until next time!

Heart Healthy - Week 7/8

Our Path to a Healthier Life

Hello!  Thanks for checking back with us as we travel down this path for a healthier life!

Kyle has lost a total of 30 pounds in just 2 months!  He weighs in at 223 lbs!  He's thrilled and surprised that its coming off easy - just by eating a plant-based diet!  He has added running to his daily walk/run - 30 minutes (about 2 miles); but he is having some difficulty with soreness in his knees.  Not sure if it's from bursitis or what...   but he is still pushing some type of exercise daily!

Kyle had his June heart doctor visit and it went well.  The doctor was very pleased with Kyle's EKG and blood pressure.  His blood pressure was the lowest that it's been in YEARS!!  He has been on blood pressure medicine for over 15 years!  This news was awesome to receive!  

The heart doctor also suggested that Kyle drink daily 4 oz. of red wine.  So, we will look into that!  Also the doctor said it would be ok to eat fish, chicken and olive oil to his daily diet, BUT we won't be doing that right now!  Kyle will return back in July along with his numbers on a thorough blood test and talk about medication!

This week's top pick  

HEART HEALTHY RECIPE 

for a plant-based diet  is a

Basic "OIL FREE" Hummus

Here is a recipe for HUMMUS - very basic with NO OIL! Hummus is a staple food at our house!  It's a snack on crackers, a sandwich filler, a dip for veggies, a dressing for salad...  Even our boys like hummus - sometimes!!  

Here is a TIP in preparing hummus:  Microwave the beans and garlic cloves for 3-4 minutes together BEFORE combining with other ingredients in a food processor.  This little techniques makes a HUGE difference!  I'm guessing that cooking - melds the two together with their flavors and softens each before the processing part!  Try it!

This recipe is so good!  There are a HUGE number of variations for hummus - Kyle enjoys a Sun-dried Tomato or Hot Jalapeño hummus.  My favorite leans towards the Caramelized Onion or Sweet Potato Hummus!! 

 Basic "No Oil" Hummus

1 can Chickpeas (or Garbonzo Beans)
1 can Cannellini Beans
(save the bean brine)

2 Garlic cloves

1 whole Lemon; juiced
1 tsp. Cumin Powder
1 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
1/4 tsp. White Pepper

Combine the beans together with the cloves of garlic in a microwave bowl - cook for 3-4 minutes and cool slightly.  Add all ingredients to a food processor - blend until smooth.  You may need more of the drained bean brine juice to get the right consistency for the hummus.  Pour the hummus into a serving bowl.  Serve with veggies, crackers - whatever you desire!  Enjoy!

A question we often receive from family & friends while following a plant-based diet is:  

"With minimal usage of salt in your diet - what kind do you use?"  

Himalayan Pink Salt or Celtic Sea Salt are my choices in cooking with!  Opting for less salt has been harder for me than Kyle. I am a savory or salty person!  I was able to  purchase the pink salt at a Walmart but for the Celtic Sea Salt - I picked up at a health food store!  If you're an on-line shopper - Amazon has both!  (I love Amazon!!)  Sodium is a big negative factor with blood pressure!  Salt is so bad for heart patients for many reasons - so cutting the salt is essential in healing and preventing heart disease! IF we use salt - these salts are our pick!

In our life style change to a plant-base diet, we've also minimized the use of SUGAR.   

Being sugar free has some disadvantages...  I recently went to take a friend to her doctor and "cheated" by eating a baby-size Bahama Buck's Snow cone! Kyle wasn't  there and wouldn't know... The snow cone was SO GOOD until it counteracted with the WORST headache!  It was so BAD that I will not cheat again!  SO!  My body has sent a painful message: that we are SUGAR FREE and it wants to stay that way - even if my head said "okay - eat the sugar"!

  

Next week will hold a big step for us - Kyle will have our family doctor draw up his blood and give us  the results... so excited but yet I'm hesitant for the news!  What if we've done all this for nothing?  

Ideal numbers are:  Total cholesterol under 150;  LDL (Bad cholesterol) to be under 80; Triglycerides to be below 150.   These are his goals, along with getting his BMI level to a 24.  

Here is a link to last week's progress - here!    And if you have just started reading this - this link will take you to the beginning - here!

Thanks for stopping by and letting us share our story!  Remember to hug the ones you love the most... until next time!

Heart Healthy Week #6

Week #6

Our Path to a Healthier Life

Hello!  Thanks for checking back with us as we travel down this path for a healthier life!

This week was our first week on official SUMMER break!  Kyle is doing great!  He has maintained his weight - and eating healthy with a plant-based diet (No meat, No dairy, No Oil and minimal amounts of salt and sugar!)  He was a bit disappointed that he only lost one pound - but I think he's doing fabulous! (This makes 24 pounds lost since April 12th)   We are trying yoga (our instructor via youtube is Adriene from Austin, Tx) and Kyle is still briskly walking 30 minutes (about 2 miles) a night.  We go, less than 2 weeks, to heart doctor and hopefully will be released to do more exercise!

Along with binge watching Netflix, making loooooong "To Do" list while it rains ...  We, in West Texas, have had rain for days now (5 days this week)...  but will NOT complain after being in a drought for 4 years...

 I've had the time to cook all 3 meals in a day and even found Plant-based Pizza, Tacos and Hamburger recipes - so all is well with us! LOL!  (Click on the word for a link to send you to the recipe that we used in creating these "comfort" foods!)  

So excited to find a pizza recipe - fixed each pizza to the eater's favorite toppings!  Then able to make "burgers" along with the boys' cheeseburgers on Memorial Day and then the TACOS - these were SO GOOD!  So we're not "left out" eating weird and different things from the other family members' meals!  This was a HUGE step forward!

This week's top pick  

HEART HEALTHY RECIPE 

for a plant-based diet  is for 

PIZZA DOUGH

Bread Machine "Healthy" Pizza Dough 

I adapted my old pizza dough recipe to a NEW healthier one.  It worked and tasted great!

1 Cup Whole-wheat flour

2 Cups Unbleached Bread flour
1 Cup Unsweetened Plant-based Milk
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Maple Syrup or Agave
1 1/2 tsp Apple Sauce
1 1/2 tsp Yeast

 Setting the bread machine on DOUGH - run it per machine's directions and then divide the dough into 2 portions / or 4 smaller portions.  Form the pizza crust - cook on parchment-foil paper directly on the rack after piercing all over, for 6 minutes - then add toppings.  Cook again for 6-8 minutes (no pan) and serve!

Yield: dough enough for 2 large pizzas or 4 medium pizzas

Vegan "Parmesan" Sprinkle

3/4 cup Raw Cashews

3 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

3/4 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse into a fine meal. Store in the refrigerator - lasts for several weeks.  


On my pizza, I cooked the onion, red & yellow bell peppers,  and mushrooms in vegetable broth, until soft before adding to the spiced tomato sauce - aka pizza sauce on the crust.  Kyle didn't want any veggies SO he had the vegan parmesan sprinkle and sauce on the pizza crust along with a large green salad on the side!

A question we receive from family & friends while following a plant-based diet is:  

"What do you DRINK ..."  

WATER...  Our bodies are around 60% water, give or take. It is commonly recommended to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day (the 8x8 rule).  I will be honest - I still drink my Pak 'n Sak Unsweet Coconut Tea - but Kyle is faithful in drinking lots and lots of water.  He has tried several diet or health drinks - always watching out for the sugar and sodium levels of the drink.  Primarily, it's spring water that Kyle drinks!  

The  more that I read and study the Plant-based eating - the more I'm convinced that NUTRITION is critical for good health.  The main reason we are choosing to eat and live this way is for Kyle to heal from his heart attack and start a prevention toward heart disease.  We want him OFF of his medication - if, at all possible.  

We are finding that FOOD can be so powerful without all the side effects that drugs induce!  If we cut ourselves or break a bone, we take it for granted that the body will heal.  But we are finding that the human body can also heal from heart disease, weight problems, and diabetes  - IF we get away from the food that are causing the problem and taking advantage of the food that heal.

Again, I challenge you to study this issue, research it - find YOUR answers - you CAN control your health.  OUR goal for Kyle is to lower his cholesterol count down to under 150...  we have opted to eat from a plant-based diet and abstain from meat or dairy of any kind.   It's NOT easy - but it is working and we are learning that it IS possible!

Here is a link to last week's progress - here!    

And if you have just started reading this - this link will take you to the beginning - here!

Thanks for stopping by and letting us share our story!  Remember to hug the ones you love the most... until next time!