Easy Individual Vegetable Lasagna

I know it doesn’t feel like Fall just yet but the day I decided to make this recipe I also indulged in my favorite fall treat – the infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks…  All the stores are carrying fall decor and some are even carrying Christmas decor (Sam’s Club & Michaels).  As I walked through the grocery store trying to figure out what I was going to make for dinner I started thinking of baked squash and eggplant and vegetable lasagna sounded like a great match….

Ingredients:

no bake lasagna pasta (whole foods makes rice pasta if you are interested in gluten free, I used the pasta from Trader Joe’s)

1 eggplant

1 zucchini

1 bell pepper (optional)

any cheese – ricotta, mozzarella, Daiya (mozzarella flavor), etc…

chunky marinara sauce (canned or make your own – remember this is titled ‘easy’)

canola spray

small baking tins for individual portions

Directions:

Lasagna is fun to make!  Preheat oven at 375F degrees.  Start with a layer of tomato sauce, add a layer of pasta, then a layer of cheese. Then add a thin layer of eggplant (I prefer to remove the skin).  Then you can add the tomato sauce, pasta, and cheese layer again. Continue with Zucchini and bell pepper  (optional) repeating the sauce, pasta, and cheese layer in between.  Bake for approximately 45 minutes.  I baked it with a piece of foil on top for 25 minutes and an additional 20 minutes with foil off.

Now Bode doesn’t eat much ‘adult’ foods yet but this would be a fun treat to make with your little one allowing them to do the layering and making their own food.  You can eat this as your meal or add a side of chicken or fish or incorporate ground beef or turkey into the individual lasagna layers.  Do what works best for your family and your day of the week, life is never predictable so work with what you’ve got!

I browned the zucchini with some olive oil and seasoning (dried oregano, basil, parsley)

First layer includes tomato sauce, lasanga, cheese, and more sauce...

Zucchini layer with cheese...

Eggplant layer with cheese...

Last layer of chunky marinara sauce...

Just out of the oven 🙂

The Book of Awakening

One afternoon I was in my car listening to Oprah Radio and she was interviewing an author by the name of Mark Nepo.  He wrote a book called ‘The Book of Awakening’.  During the interview she accepted calls from listeners and one listener was a yoga teacher who reads this book to her students during Savasana.  She was a little emotional on the call and described how it affected her students and how moving each of the stories were.  This intrigued me so I immediately pulled out my i-phone and looked up the book for purchase on Amazon.  I was so excited to get this book and read it for myself and hopefully be able to share it with my students.  One of the most amazing things about yoga is the urge to want more of it whether that be spirtually or physically through the poses.  My goal is for each student to leave class feeling more in touch with themselves spirtually and physicially, ultimately taking those thoughts and feelings outside of yourself.  It sounds very deep but its really an experience hard to describe but it helps you create a greater appreciation for life.

If you want to learn more about the author here is a link to his website:  http://marknepo.com/

The Book of Awakening

The Book of Awakening

I love this Poem that he wrote titled ‘ Breaking Surface’

Let no one keep you from your journey,
no rabbi or priest, no mother
who wants you to dig for treasures
she misplaced, no father
who won’t let one life be enough,
no lover who measures their worth
by what you might give up,
no voice that tells you in the night
it can’t be done.

Let nothing dissuade you
from seeing what you see
or feeling the winds that make you
want to dance alone
or go where no one
has yet to go.

You are the only explorer.
Your heart, the unreadable compass.
Your soul, the shore of a promise
too great to be ignored.

~Namaste~

Running Update – On to Shoe #3

I’m up to 7 1/2 miles in my training towards the Santa Clarita half marathon in November…  I have now officially gone through three (3) pairs of different shoes.  I am determined to get the right shoe for my race and finish strong at the finish line.  I mentioned before that I was struggling with the vibrams because they were rubbing up against my big toe, even with socks I couldn’t get them to rub correctly on my feet.  So I switched to the Nike Free running shoe and I liked this shoe but was concerned about running in a Nike.  I guess when you grew up running and were always told Nike was more for fashion than training it kinda sinks in, plus I’ve always been a loyal Asics client.  So I purchased the New Balance minimalist shoe (because I know New Balance is a good runners shoe) and I liked the feel of it, but if I’m going to be being completely honest, it rubbed against my heels.  UGH!!!  Can I not win?  This morning I ran my 2 1/2 mile mid-week run in my Nike Free shoe to allow my heels to heal a bit before my 8 1/2 mile training run on Sunday.  The other thing that I know hasn’t helped is that I have done my last 3 weeks of long runs with a jogging stroller.  This is great that I get to take my baby with me while I enjoy my exercise but its almost impossible to keep good form on a run that long.  So I will no longer be doing that as I increase my mileage over the next few weeks.  I’m determined to make it a great 8-weeks till the 1/2 marathon by continuing my stretching and yoga practice, running and keeping good form in my minimalist shoes (preferably the New Balance shoe but if not it will be the Nike Free), and incorporating at least 2 times a week of strength training (this is where I will be wearing my Vibrams).  Whats your favorite running shoe?  Are you loyal to one brand? Are you willing to try something new?  I actually think that the New balance minimalist looks like the basic running shoe that came straight out of the 70s.  I’m waiting for the day that Asics makes their minimalist shoe!

New Balance Minimalist

Vibram Five Fingers

Nike Free Shoe

Healthy Fish Tacos

My husband and I have been eating a lot more fish in our diets and so I’ve been trying different ways to cook fish (besides barbeque).  I always get worried about my house having that fishy smell so it always seems like a risk.  I  adapted this recipe from a breaded baked chicken recipe I make fairly often. But I was even more excited when I discovered whole wheat panko crumbs at Sprouts this afternoon.  For someone that likes chicken but gets tired of eating it at every meal and wants to try something new this is a great recipe.  Cod isn’t very fishy and has a firm texture similar to chicken.  I even got a great response from my picky husband who rarely applauds my risk-taking meals (pretty much anything that I haven’t made before).  So it looks like this recipe is a keeper and we’ll be making it again soon!

Ingredients:

1 lb of cod fillet

corn tortillas (I used La Tortilla factory that were seasoned with chiles)

1 lemon

1 egg

whole wheat panko crumbs (approximately 1 cup)

seasoning including – parsley, garlic powder, oregano

bag of cole slaw (cabbage)

fresh salsa

homemade guacamole (optional)

white sauce – 1/2 c mayo, 1/8 c grain milk, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.  Add egg and lemon (1/2 tsp) juice and 1/4 tsp of lemon rind in one bowl.  Add panko crumbs and seasoning in another bowl. take the fillet and dip it into the egg mixture first and then the crumb mixture and then lay on a baking sheet sprayed with vegetable spray.  Bake for 15 minutes. Remove and put on top of the stove.  preheat broiler.  Broiler for 2 minutes or until bread crumbs are crispy.  Make homemade guacamole.  Mix together ingredients for white sauce and put in refrigerator.  To prepare, warm tortillas in the oven and lay the fish in the middle, then layer the coleslaw mix, salsa, white sauce (guacamole – optional).  These are very filling but if you want you can serve it with a mixed green salad on the side.  I ate two, and my husband had four. 🙂

Bon Appetit!

Eight Limbs of Yoga

Most people might look at yoga as just a form of exercise (asana), but it is so much more than just the movement of the body.  You might have remembered me talking about how I did alot of practice during my pregnancy and post-baby but that did not include a lot of movement (asana).  I was doing a more meditative practice in order to keep relaxed and balance during times of chaos.  Having a new baby brings a lot of changes that not everyone is ready for and I for sure was one of those people.  Patanjali, a master yogi, wrote the 8-limbs dating back more than 1500 years ago.  Please find the chart below which shows both the sanskrit term and english translation:

Sanskrit English
Yama moral codes
Niyama self-purification and study
Asana posture
Pranayama breath control
Pratyahara sense control
Dharana intention
Dhyana meditation
Samadhi contemplation

(The above chart was found on Wikipedia)

The combination of mastering all eight limbs enables one to perform Samadhi (the last of the 8-limbs) efficiently. Samadhi then becomes the ulitmate goal, which is of total freedom of being.  Therefore, the eight “limbs” lead to samadhi.

Yama

These are forms of moral commandments, rules, or goals. They consist of acts in our dealings with the external world.

  • Ahimsa: non-violence, inflicting no injury or harm to others or even to one’s own self, it goes as far as non-violence in thought, word and deed.
  • Satya: truth in word and thought.
  • Asteya: non-covetousness, to the extent that one should not even desire something that is his own.
  • Brahmacharya: abstain from sexual intercourse; celibacy in case of unmarried people and monogamy in case of married people. Even this to the extent that one should not possess any sexual thoughts towards any other man or woman except one’s own spouse. It is common to associate Brahmacharya with celibacy.
  • Aparigraha: non-possessiveness

Niyama

These are a form of moral imperatives, commandments, rules or goals. They consist of acts in our dealings with the inner world.

  • Shaucha: cleanliness of body and mind.
  • Santosha: satisfied with what one has.
  • Tapas: austerity and associated observances for body discipline and thereby mental control.
  • Svadhyaya: study of the Vedic scriptures to know about God and the soul, which leads to introspection on a greater awakening to the soul and God within,
  • Ishvarapranidhana: surrender to (or worship of) God.

Asana

Rules and postures to keep the body disease-free and preserving energy. Correct postures through discipline of the body are a physical aid to meditation. These postures control the limbs and nervous system and prevent them from producing instability.

Pranayama

Control of breath. This allows for steadiness of the body and is highly conducive to the concentration of the mind.

Pratyahara

Withdrawal of senses from their external objects.

Dharana

Concentration of the citta (one’s state of mind) upon a physical object, such as a flame of a candle, the midpoint of the eyebrows, or the image of a deity (supernatural immortal being).

Dhyana

Steadfast meditation. Undisturbed flow of thought around the object of meditation.  The act of meditation and the object of meditation remain distinct and separate.

Samadhi

Oneness with the object of meditation. There is no distinction between act of meditation and the object of meditation.

This may seem a little deep for some people into the world of yoga but this is a broad picture of what it takes to get the most out of your yoga practice.  Most people will never attain Samadhi, and I am one of those people because I unfortuantley do not dedicate enough time to my practice.  But knowing that there is something to strive for, to practice towards, makes yoga that much more challenging and that much more rewarding.  So as you take your next yoga class or begin a yoga program, remember that yoga is so much more than just the movement and you can practice yoga everyday and it will help you become a better person.

~Namaste~

Born to Run – Barefoot Running Part III

I finally finished the book and with some up’s and some downs’, I’d say overall it was a good read.  I didn’t care for the ending but nonetheless it got me thinking about the way I look at running.  I’ve been running since I was about 8 years old when I participated in a local cross-country team called Warriors, this only lasted one year and I moved on to play soccer which I enjoyed much more.  But little did I know that cross-country would soon be a part of my life again when I joined the high school team my sophomore year as a way to train in the off-season for soccer, I continued with track, and even earned my Varsity cross-country letter before the end of junior year.  I continued to find love through running in college where it helped me keep those ‘Freshman 15’ off and recover after a night of partying with my sorority sisters.  But it was after college when I trained for my first marathon through team in training when I really fell in love with running.  I enjoyed running miles while catching up with my girlfriends and recovering with a good ice bath and a long nap.  Unfortunately the outcome of my marathon was a 6-month hiatus from running due to an injury.  This sparked my interest in learing more about ‘barefoot running’ and after my husband read this book a few years ago I decided finally it was time to learn more about this phenomenon.

Let me start by saying this book is not 100% about ‘barefoot running’ but about a remote tribe in Mexico that makes running a part of their everyday lives.  This tribe of men and women run in a basic strappy leather sandal all over the surrounding mountains of their village.  A promoter got their interest in ultra-marathons (50+miles) and they started competing with people all over the world.  The end of the book brings together infamous ultra-runners from all over America to the tribes village for an epic ultra-marathon.  The bottom line is that these people do not run for exercise, but for the  joy of running.  It is more of a game than a competition between these athletes which they each have a strong passion for.

There is however, a few chapters dedicated to the evolution of the running shoe.  How Nike started off with a simple shoe and it has evolved into this billion dollar business idea.  When in all actuality, people are getting more injured with the ‘fancy’ shoes of today vs. the basic shoe of yesterday.  This in turn is why Nike developed the Nike free shoe which is their version of the vibram five-finger (bare-foot running).  It allows for easy on the feet but support from rocks and other textiles that your feet might hit while out on the road.  These tribal people do not wear any special running shoes and they have no injuries and run till they are elders.  And in some cases the elders are better runners than the younger generations.  Interviews with podiatrists within the book state that our own bodies are designed to be able to maintain balance without the support of shoes.

Toe Socks

As you already know, if you have been reading my blog, I started ‘barefoot’ running in the beginning of this year.  And I have now run up to 5 miles since I’m training for a 1/2 marathon in November.  I do feel like my body feels lighter and my feet feel more flexible over these past few months.   But I had to go out and get the special toe socks to go into my vibrams because they stretched so much that my toes were rubbing.  This has helped a little but I still seem to be getting blisters on my big toes.  I haven’t been as good as I vowed to be with stretching and I’m paying the price because my hips are starting to ache.  So I’ve incorporated my yoga into my weekly routine as well as stretching with a foam roller whenever possible.  I’ll continue to blog my barefoot running journey as I increase my miles each week… to be continued!

Santa Clarita Marathon - November 6th, 2011

Salad Challenge Week #4 07/23/11 – 07/31/11

The challenge is over!  This was the hardest part of the challenge, the final week and finding enough recipes to complete this month (without repeating).  I had such a fun time preparing the meals and looking for new ideas that I’m going to continue this for as long as I can… I feel great that I am able to get so many vegetables into my diet and that I can pass that onto my husband (and baby).  Let me know if you come across and new and exciting recipes!  I will certainly update if I find anything new that I feel I have to share with everyone 🙂

July 23, 2011

Wood Ranch barbeque – Natalie’s Salad

This was a typical busy Saturday where we made a last minute decision on our take-out dinner.  I love this salad but it might not be the healthiest of choices.  However, I don’t think they have a lot of ‘healthy’ options at this barbecue joint… its all about good homestyle cooking!

July 24, 2011

Mango Salsa Chicken Salad

This was a last minute throw together salad and since I’ve had a little bit of an obsession with mangoes lately I figured why not get my favorite Mango, papaya salsa from Trader Joes, marinade some chicken (barbecue), add bell pepper, carrots, avocado, more salsa, Daiya (pepper jack favored) ‘cheese’ and of course organic spring mix and enjoy!

July 25, 2011

Organic Steak salad

Simple but good!

July 26, 2011

California Pizza Kitchen Miso Shrimp Salad (half portion)

Happy Birthday to me!  The last year in my 20’s and I get to enjoy one of my favorite salads.  Although the portion size looks small, don’t be fooled because it has a lot of great flavor and is very filling.

July 27, 2011

Scallop and Prawn Salad at TPC (tournament players club Valencia)

This is one of the nicest restaurants in Valencia and just so happens to be where my husband and I got married.  My parents are members at this club so we have been here a handful of times and this night we were celebrating my 29th birthday.   The shellfish is served on top of a bed of baby greens with sliced red onions, daikon sprouts, shaved carrots, avocado, topped with tortilla strips, and mango vinaigrette.

July 28, 2011

Caprese Salad

No, I don’t typically eat a lot of cheese but I made an exception for this recipe which can be either an appetizer or a meal.  I love the combination though of fresh tomatoes and mozzarella!  I didn’t have any but it tastes amazing with a little fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.

No, this is not my image but a great example of what a caprese salad looks like 😉

July 29, 2011

Cartwheel Salad – Stonefire Grill

You probably remember from the beginning of the month we had the garden salad from Stonefire, well today I had the Cartwheel salad which is probably my favorite salad they offer there.

July 30, 2011

Chinese ‘Chicken’ Salad – with Tofu instead of Chicken

This salad is from Elephant bar and has great flavor even with tofu instead of chicken. My husband eats the chicken version and he enjoys it too.

(No Photo)

July 31, 2011

Salmon Salad

Today was the last day of the salad challenge which included Cajun salmon, greens, mixed vegetables, and jalapeno – garlic homemade croutons. Bon Appetit!

Salmond Salad

Salad Challenge Week #3 07/16/11 – 07/22/11

Week #3 is here and I am loving this challenge!  I hate to admit this but I usually gain weight in the summer months but this summer is very different because I’m moving more and making vegetables my main ingredient in my meals (including a smoothie for breakfast with spinach).

July 16, 2011

Garden Salad with homemade quinoa burger – Burger Lounge in San Diego

WOW!  This was my first time eating at the Burger Lounge and it was delicious… I highly recommend if you are ever in San Diego to try this salad or a sandwich.  Everything was very fresh and the place was very clean.

Thank you Stephanie for the recommendation!

July 17, 2011

Soupplantation – the original salad bar

With all this salad eating I had a craving for the ‘original’ salad bar – soupplantation.  I usually try and fill up on the greens so I’m too full to try too much of the other stuff.  But I did share some pasta primavera and a baked potato with the baby 🙂

July 18, 2011

Taco Salad with Organic Ground Beef

This is kind of a staple in our weekly menu’s.  We usually go back and forth between organic beef tacos and organic beef taco salad.  But I like incorporating these recipes into the challenge because it is a part of our life.  Probably one of the easiset and I served homemade baked Chips and homemade Guacamole for an appetizer.  The ingredients for this salad include – ground beef (cooked with a combo of lime, pepper salsa and taco seasoning), homemade baked tortilla strips, guacamole, black beans, green peppers, tomatoes, and salsa (used as the salad dressing).

July 19, 2011

Barbeque Chicken Chopped Salad (@ Home)

You now know I won’t eat chicken unless its organic so I never get to enjoy all the different types of BBQ chicken salad’s out there.  So I decided to make it for dinner and it included – spring mix, BBQ chicken, light ranch dressing, tomatoes, pea tendrils (my new favorite ingredient), black beans, and corn.  I need to learn how to make my own ranch dressing though…

July 20, 2011

Pear and Goat cheese Salad

This recipe was actually given to me by a friend (thanks JD)!  I made this for lunch because I had plans for a company dinner in the evening.  It included mixed greens, pears (I used canned), goat cheese, sliced almonds, pea tendrils, and my favorite fat free balsamic vinaigrette (Trader Joe’s).  She actually has a recipe for a homemade dressing (vinegar, olive oil, honey, paprika, salt, and pepper), but I didn’t have enough time to put it together before I left for the day.  Either way it was delicious!

July 21, 2011

Chinese chicken Salad Bowl

Marinated the chicken in the crockpot with teryaki sauce, cooked some brown rice in the rice cooker, sauted some vegetables (broccoli and asparagus) with some olive oil and teriyaki sauce in a pan on the stovetop.  After it was completed I plated it starting at the bottom with lettuce, brown rice, vegetables, and shredded chicken.  To be honest, I totally made this recipe up because I was just going to make a chinese chicken salad but I knew my husband would complain there weren’t enough carbohydrates on the plate.  Unfortunately, out of this entire month I have only had one miss and that was today.  The reason it was a miss was because I sauted the vegetables in teriyaki and they lost their flavor.  I would steam the veggies next time and find a yummy teriyaki drizzle to pour over the top for garnish and a little extra flavor.

July 22, 2011

Chipotle Veggie Salad Bowl

Once again it’s Frid-YAY!  And that means… no cooking 🙂  Therefore we decided to have Chipotle.  I love the philosophy around this restaurant because they offer fresh, whole ingredients, with no secrets because everything is right in front of you as they prepare your plate.

Sorry for this poor iphone image 😦

Salad Challenge Week #2 (07/08/11 – 07/15/11)

July 8th, 2011

Cucumber, avocado, and tomato salad

As most people are on a Friday night of a long work week, I was hungry and tired and looking for something both satisfying and easy for dinner!  I chopped up some cucumber, avocado, and tomatoes.  Tossed these ingrediens with equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar and some seasonings (oregano, parsley, pepper).  I finished it off by adding some pinenuts for a little protein and served it like brushchetta with some toast.

July 9th, 2011

I had some of my favorite ladies over for a tea party and one of my best friends made the recipe I featured on a blog  a few weeks ago – Strawberry, walnut, and goat cheese salad.

July 10th, 2011

Couscous tabouli salad (found on the back of the Trader Joe’s couscous box but I improvised)

This was a delicous salad that I definetly plan to make again.  It starts off with sauteing some finely chopped vegetables (tomatoes, squash, bell pepper, onion) in a pan for 5-10 minutes.  Make a full serving of couscous.  Add 6 tbsp of olive oil and the sauteed vegetables and plate it on top of a bed of spring mix.  We served this with some cajun salmon and it was perfect!

July 11th , 2011

Country Italian Salad – Trader Joe’s

This is a great lunchtime salad but it doesn’t have alot of calories so it doesn’t fill me up till dinner.  I usually need a few snacks afterwards before dinnertime (i.e. fruit, almonds, etc.)

July 12th, 2011

For lunch I had my favorite super spinach salad but since the challenge was to have a different salad every day I decided to make something different for dinner.  We had vegetable and orzo salad (a spin off of the couscous salad I made the other night).  This included orzo, yellow squash, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, goat cheese, olive oil, and seasoning.  I served it along side pan seared Sea Bass.

July 13th, 2011

Today I made my way to my favorite salad bar at Whole foods.  I figured its almost the weekend and I deserved a day off from prepping my own lunch. In my opinion, salad bars are only good when they are clean and of course fully stocked with different choices.  This salad bar offers everything from your basic toppings to other unique options from all different places around the world.  You can see I added lots of veggies but also included tofu, tabouli, and dolmas.

July 14th, 2011

Only one more day left till the weekend…  Tuna Salad on a bed of lettuce (added tomatoes, hearts of palm, pine nuts, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette)

July 15, 2011

It’s Frid-YAY!  Tonight we decided to have a relaxing meal before our busy weekend at Red Brick Pizza.  They offer a few different salad options but I love their chopped garden salad.

Salad Challenge Week #1 07/01/11 – 07/07/11

We had a busy long weekend and ate out a lot but I found a few places that offered some good salad options:

July 1st, 2011

Stonefire Grill – Garden Salad

A traditional garden salad at a traditional barbeque joint…

please excuse this shot it was taken with my iphone...

July 2nd, 2011

Urbane Cafe – Urbane Cafe Salad with Portabello mushroom (instead of chicken)

My favorite obsession right now!  The combination of spring mix, pears, goat cheese, walnuts, grilled portabello, and balsamic vinaigrette – my mouth is watering just posting this. 🙂

July 3rd, 2011

Wokcano – Seaweed Salad

I’m just realizing that this doesn’t have a whole lot of nutrients as I always thought it did but its low in calories and one of my favorite dishes to order at a Japanese or sushi restaurant.

Kona Krisp – Thai peanut salad with fried shrimp (** I know this isn’t the healthiest salad but they don’t offer any other protein alternative to chicken)

I love this Hawaiian fusion BBQ restaurant I just wish they had more ‘healthy options.’

July 4th, 2011

Shredded Chicken Taco Salad (homemade)

Ingredients – lettuce, carrots, cherry tomatoes, salsa, organic chicken, daiya cheddar cheese, black beans, avocado, homemade crispy tortilla strips

This is a super easy dish to make.  It’s full of protein and delicious veggies and of course my salad dressing is salsa.

July 5th, 2011

Broccoli slaw

Ingredients – broccoli slaw (from Trader Joe’s), crushed cashews, fat free balsamic vinaigrette (TJ’s)

This has to be one of the easiest side salads to make or make it as an entree by adding your favorite meat and some extra veggies.  We had ours as a side to garden burgers and fresh strawberries.

July 6th, 2011

Super Spinach Salad (Trader Joe’s)

My mom introduced me to this salad just a few weeks ago and I’m in love with it!  I use barely a teaspoon of the dressing (very high in calories and fat) but the combination of the veggies and quinoa and seeds is perfect, you won’t be disappointed! 🙂

July 7th, 2011

Homemade ‘Urth’ Salad

A few years back I worked in Beverly Hills and a few doors down from my workplace was Urth Cafe.  If you have never been there I’d highly recommend it!  They offer organic chicken and have the most delicious coffee drinks including Boba.  Since I don’t live close by to any Urth Cafe locations I make my own version of the salad at home.  This includes Organic Spring Mix, goat cheese, carrots, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, hearts of palm, and balsamic vinaigrette.  You can also add garbanzo beans, chicken, or tuna for a little added protein.

please excuse this shot it was taken with my iphone...