Category: FOOD

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SUMMER SALAD

As the temperature rises steadily towards summer, I find myself a bit less hungry during the day and I crave things that are lighter and fresher when it comes to food. Salads are an ideal lunch meal for this period and I love trying new mixes and ingredients. I often find myself not having enough time to prepare something complicated, so I decided to start looking through my local health food store here in Milano. They have many good products that one can easily prepare and while looking I found this organic tofu that comes in a few different flavors. My personal favorites are the olive paste and tomato kind. It is such a  great addition to my salads or quick dishes and my sons are also enjoying them. When in a hurry and you need to prepare a quick meal then a food item like this comes in very handy.

I also have a thing for cucumbers – they are so fresh and crispy even if they don’t have much taste. Cucumbers are great for warm weather as they are made up of 95% water and thy hydrate our bodies well. Cucumbers are low in calories and high in fiber so they are both great for weight loss and digestive health. They reduce unwanted inflammation and support good brain health. There are quite a few reasons to keep them in your fridge, plus if you wake up with puffy eyes like me (often due to little or no sleep😊) slice them down and if you have a few moments to spare place them on your eyes.  Another great thing I learned from Ayurveda medicine is eating cucumbers releases excess heat in your stomach which is know for being one of the main culprits of bad breath. If you place one slice on your tongue for a while, chew and then swallow you will easily be ready to give your favorite sweetheart a good kiss 🙂

These are just some of the many reasons I suggest grabbing a bunch on your next trip to the grocery store. I also feed them to my sons as an afternoon snack and they love how  juicy they are.

 Recipe Feeds Two:

Note: I slice all my ingredients quite small for this salad.

– Wash the skin of one cucumber (preferably organic) well. Slice in half and then in three so you have many small cubes.

– One cup of cherry tomatoes, wash well then slice in four ways.

– One jar of tofu all sliced into small cubes.

– Handful of pumpkin seeds and sprinkle them allover

– Half of an avocado cut into small cubes

– Extra virgin olive oil drizzled over it

– Coconut vinaigrette drizzled over as well

– Toss all the ingredients together well and ENJOY!

An easily prepared healthy meal that is very fresh for those warm summer months. I truly hope you enjoy it

Love JM

@Photo, www.mamafedona.com

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HOMEMADE HEALTHY ICE-CREAM POPS FOR THE WARM DAYS TO COME.

For me there are few things as satisfying as eating ice cream under the sun on a beautiful day. The only thing is that living here in Italy there are too many beautiful days,  perfect for ice cream! I had to put  a limit on the ice cream desserts because now my sons are curious to try everything I  eat, so I can’t even get away for a moment to eat alone. I decided to start experimenting with healthy home recipes. There is SO much sugar in ice cream and I am always trying to have my sons and I avoid as much sugar and dairy as possible. I tried out this recipe and it became a super hit with  my sons and I fell in love with it myself.

I went to Apple Pie, my favorite store in the neighborhood to buy a gift for Sebastian’s friend. While there I found a tray to make ice cream pops. Now I remember doing this with my own mom as a girl.  It was so much fun and I was always super excited waiting for them to freeze. I brought the tray home and started on this project right away with the help of my two boys. They were very excited! This is simple and actually healthy, so we can all eat it guilt-free on every sunny day we  will have this summer :

This was our first recipe with the tray but,  now we are on full- speed experimenting. It’s perfect for the whole family. Also, if you have a teething baby, around 1 year of age and up, then they can also taste it. This pop may actually help to  relieve some tension in their swollen gums.

1 little bottle of coconut water

1 banana

Dash of organic cinnamon ( optional )

Dash of organic vanilla (optional)

Throw all in a blender, blend well for about a minute. Pour the mixture into the ice cream pop tray and close with the stick lid. Place in the freezer for about 4-5 hours and then enjoy.

We also take ours outside to the park, they will not melt right away if you put them in a cooling bag with some ice.

Love JM

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BANANA NICE CREAM

Healthy, sugar free, chemical free, gluten-free, homemade, simple and DELICIOUS ice cream! Or…. NICE cream 🙂

Sounds too good to be true, right ?

Well now you can try it out and decide for yourself 🙂

This is quite popular in the States, especially in Hawaii and California also parts of Australia. For the past few years I have been making this at home for me and my sons as an amazing alternative to regular ice cream. My sons don’t eat dairy and I love giving them this instead, plus we skip all the added sugar. I actually like it  very much and I used to have this as well during my pregnancies. I was pregnant during the summer months both times, so ice cream was definitely a common craving.

I peel 3 bananas and cut them in two or three pieces, wrap them in aluminum and place in my freezer. You can also freeze a bunch and then you have it handy whenever you want to make a nice cream.

-Take your bananas out of the freezer and place them in a high-speed blender and let them sit there for about 5 minutes. It will be easier to blend them if they first defrost a bit in room temperature.

– Add a half cup coconut water and homemade almond milk or Hemp milk.

– Few dashes of cinnamon

– Teaspoon organic vanilla

– Tablespoon raw organic cacao powder.

Now you may start to blend this slowly and as you see your mixture start to mix you can pulse it a few times and then slowly increase the speed.  If you need help in allowing the mixture to blend, you may always add more of the liquids that you are using. Just be careful not to use too much as it may lose thickness. It can be a bit tricky to get it started,  but you will get the hang of it pretty fast as you practice. It is important to have a good and strong blender.

Very simple and healthy – now you can have healthy ice cream! Best news of the week.

For an extra boost feel free to add a tablespoon of hemp seeds to your mixture 🙂 You can also add your favorite toppings; such as strawberries, blueberries or a good granola.

Buon appetito 🙂

Love JM

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HOMEMADE ALMOND MILK

Once you taste homemade almond milkI think you might never ever buy it from a store again – it is SO fresh and SO creamy! Plus, it is very easy to make it. Much easier than you may think. All you need is good quality almonds, actually the quality of the almonds matter the most. For this recipe I use organic peeled almonds just because they are were the freshest ones I found in my store. These ones are organic and come straight from Sicily to Milano, so I have no doubt the milk will be amazing!

First step is just to soak the almonds in water so they start sprouting a bit. They become much more flavorful that way and also the benefits of the almond become more powerful. It is beneficial if  you have the time to prepare ahead.

I usually soak mine for 48 hours. Change the water one to two times each day.

After soaking, wash the almonds a bit and set them in a high speed blender.

One cup almonds and two cups water is the measure, but if you want to make more milk it is totally fine to add up to three cups of water. The milk will just be a bit thinner but still very tasty and good.

Blend very well for about 2 minutes.

Pour your liquid through a milk bag and squeeze gently. Mine looks like the one in the photo below.

YES, that’s it!

Your almond milk is ready, place in a jar or flask in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days. Almond milk is great on it’s own or you can add blueberries, strawberries or banana. Add the milk to your morning smoothie for extra creaminess and an energy boost. Or if you are a cereal breakfast eater this is  great milk to enjoy it with.

I personally LOVE almond blueberry milk and so do the boys. My boyfriend loves it as an after dinner dessert, especially if the berries are frozen with a dash of cinnamon added to it.

Enjoy!

Love JM

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GREEN PEA AND QUINOA PASTA WITH VEGETABLES

What sounds better than a healthy, easy to make home made dish that is very comforting and filling after a super busy day? Well this is it.  Again, if you have a baby who does not yet eat solids you may set aside his/her portion and blend it. Just  add  the steamed vegetable water to get the correct texture. One meal for the whole family!

I try to avoid gluten as much as I can. I don’t like to live in prison, so if I really crave something or if I am in a good restaurant that has the world’s best pasta I will absolutely go for it. In  my own home though, I always have healthy and gluten free. I found this great pasta that is made out of green peas and quinoa  and it always satisfies my pasta cravings, but I do understand that I am not Italian and pasta is something very sacred for my Italian readers. Maybe you can give it a try just to take a mini break from gluten every once in awhile 🙂

All I use is two roman broccoli heads and five zucchini and wash both well. ( buy them organic, if you can)

Turn on your steam pot and bring water to a boil and set another (regular) pot for the pasta and bring this also to a boil.

Cut up the roman broccoli and set in the steam pot and let it steam for about 5-8 minutes

In the meantime you cut your zucchini into small pieces and when the roman broccoli has been in there for 5-8 minutes you may add in the zucchini and steam for another 5 minutes.

Now this part is optional and seasonal – I like to add some monk’s beard at the very end. Two handfuls chopped up small for the last 3 minutes.

When the pasta water is boiling you put some olive oil in the water with a teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt and then throw in the pasta and cook for 6 minutes. Here’s the thing, on the package it says 5 minutes, but this kind of pasta is not as good “al dente” , at least not in my opinion. I really love regular pasta “al dente”, but this one not so much. So I leave my pasta in the water for 6-7 minutes and even my Italian boyfriend agrees with me on this 🙂  But you can always try and taste it before you take it out of the water and see for yourself.

When the vegetables are ready I pour them into a big bowl, take a knife and cut  the vegetables  into small pieces and then I blend in a good extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil. I then sprinkle in my amazing seaweed spice full of good minerals from the ocean 🙂

When the pasta is ready all I do is mix it  in well in with the vegetables and enjoy!

This takes just about 20 minutes to prepare. The pasta is comforting when you have cravings for something heavy. This would definitely be a healthier alternative. My kids love it and so do I, and although Italian, my boyfriend loves it as well 🙂

Hope this recipe can be useful for you. Look forward to reading your thoughts on it 😊

Love JM

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SIMPLE SALMON & VEGETABLES RECIPE

Here is a simple and very easy  recipe, not to mention super healthy for your whole family.
If you have a small baby that would need to eat this blended, you can make and prepare the food exactly the same and then just take out and set aside to blend with  some high quality oil and some of the steamed water from the vegetables. It will be easier to blend and the texture won’t be as thick. The vegetables’ water will have some vitamins and minerals so it is all good.

Mamma don’t worry, I am with you when you are thinking about what to prepare for dinner everyday. It is a busy time in a family when you have to cook and the kids often never need you as much as  while you are cooking dinner. So here I have a very easy recipe that is also super healthy. If you don’t eat fish you may take out the fish and replace it with something else such as quinoa, tofu or legumes.

My choice of vegetables varies on the season or what was fresh in the market that day,  feel free to switch some out and put another favorite in.

This recipe feed a family of four, if there are left overs they are great to bring as your work lunch the next day!

– Three carrots
– Three small beets
– Two heads broccoli
– Half red cabbage
– Two great handful of monk’s beard ( a wonderful tasty green, looks like tall grass to me. My new favorite and I add this to almost all my recipes now as this is their season)
– 4-6 fillets of salmon, depends on the size.

Clean and peel your vegetables.
Then I use two steaming pots, one for fish and one for vegetables. Actually, you may also use just one for all if it is big enough just to save yourself  from extra dishes to wash 🙂

After you have peeled and cleaned your vegetables bring the water to a boil.
Cut your carrots and beets into small pieces and then toss into the pot when the water is boiling.

In the meantime you keep cutting up your broccoli and red cabbage and after about 5 minutes add that in as well.

Chop your monk’s beard small and add it into the steam at the very end for about 3 minutes or leave it fresh – this is optional.

The salmon takes just about 5 minutes to steam so I put it in it’s pot and at the same time I add the broccoli in.

When the vegetables are ready I put them on a large plate and I add high quality extra Virgin olive oil. Then I add my new two  recently found favorite seasonings.  One is mixed seaweed, turmeric and a ginger combination – so tasty and healthy.  You may find this in most heath food stores.

I season the vegetables mix them up  with the oil and then I add the salmon and add a little more spice 🙂 I love the flavor of this combo and it is such a healthy addition to almost every dish.

I posted this in a video on Instagram awhile back and I received a lot of requests for recipes – so here it is. I hope this will taste as good to you as it does to me. My boys love to have salmon every now and then, I guess this is from their Icelandic side. The fat in salmon is so great for us, our hormones, our skin and our children. Just be conscious of where you get it from.
This may also be enjoyed with a very cold glass of white wine 🙂

Love, JM

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HOT QUINOA PORRIDGE # 2

I would like to share another version of the very lovely quinoa porridge. This one is a bit juicier and may be more suited for adults and older children, but my sons  absolutely love this one. It is so yummy and almost tastes like dessert,  plus you don’t have to blend it like the other one I shared with you. Less fuss and  clean up, which is great since every minute in the morning seems to move faster than the rest of the day 🙂 

First step is to clean and wash your quinoa like I showed you HERE.

Then you take the cooked quinoa  here you can use it fresh or you may also use leftovers from your fridge or also if you  have it prepared from the night before)

– Place  your portion of quinoa in a pot ( depends if you are making for one or more)

– Add your favorite milk my – personal is coconut or almond.  I make almond milk at home often and  then heat and use it whenever a recipe calls for it.) 

– Full teaspoon of coconut oil.
– Chop down medjool dates very small and stir it in while the quinoa is heating ( I use two dates per person)

-Break down a handful of walnut into  small pieces using your fingers and stir them in.

– Add cinnamon,  I use a little teaspoon and stir it in well.

Now when this is warm you may place the goodness  in a bowl. Peel half an apple and chop it down into small pieces. Mix it in at the very end.

So simple! Hope you will enjoy it as much as we do 🙂

Stay full and happy until lunch time!

love JM

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PEAR, BLUEBERRY AND VANILLA SMOOTHIE.

These days my family’s new favorite smoothie is this. Super fresh and tasty for this lovely spring weather we have received (at least here in Milano.) I make this recipe for all 4 of us at home and prepare a bit extra so I can bring it  in a jar for the boys to have at Kindergarten as their mid-morning snack. This provides great energy and keeps me going until lunch.

3 table spoon Chia seeds that were soaked in water over night

1 pear peeled or washed well

1 apple peeled or washed well

1 big cup frozen blueberries

1 packet of frozen acai berry

3 tablespoons hemp seeds

1 teaspoon organic vanilla

5 dashes of cinnamon

1 handful of spinach

Blend well on high speed until smooth, I like when it is blended well. Place your chia seeds in the blender first so it all blends easier and your blender doesn’t get clogged.

You may read about the benefits of chia seeds and hemp seeds by clicking on the links. I wrote about these super seeds a few weeks ago, in case you need an update 🙂

Feel free to play with this recipe and add your favorite ingredients to it.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Love JM

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QUINOA PORRIDGE

Good morning, we all have very different needs when we wake up.  Some of us awake  hungry  and need a bigbreakfast, while others may want something warm and comforting and the rest might fancy something fresh and light. Some are in a hurry and others have more time. I would like to share some healthy breakfast ideas with you. As promised I will start off with quinoa porridge. This is the simple version that may also be given to babies from 9 months up.

The first thing is to make quinoa as I showed you guys a while back.

For simple Quinoa preparation,  please click here.

If you don’t have  time in the morning to boil the quinoa then you may do so the night before. You can  store it in your fridge overnight or if you have any left over from a previous meal then you can just use that. If you do have the time , boil up the quinoa for 15 minutes – one cup quinoa and two cups water.

When it’s ready place it aside, whether cold from the fridge or hot, and add it into a small pot :

– one can of coconut milk in the pot with the quinoa – heat up and stir

– teaspoon of cinnamon (organic). I love cinnamon but if you like less, then adjust it to your taste.  If you are making this for your baby just add 1 to 3 dashes.

Then you take a hand controlled food processor and work the mixture until the texture is creamy and pudding like. This feeds around  two to three people depending on how hungry you are in the morning. This is also a simple recipe to share with your baby if you are at home. Make one serving and share a meal with him  or her 🙂 For your portion you may also top it off with your favorite fruits such as: dates, goji berries, blueberries, strawberries, banana or apple.

Hope you like it. Enjoy 🙂

Love JM

@Photo, www.mamafedona.com

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FINGER FOOD THAT TRAVELS EASY

I have a thing with always wanting to know what my sons are eating. I try and make every bite count for something good and useful for their little perfect bodies. All their  snacks and finger foods are a good source of vitamins and also very tasty.

I found dried berries to be a great solution, they meet so many nutritional needs. I also, on occasion, add them to my quinoa porridge breakfast. Add a  handful into a smoothie or I will just give them to my boys as is –  a dried mix in a jar when the boys need some power snacks. I even take this with me when I travel in airplanes or long car trips. It is necessary to have a little something handy to nibble on and this is good for the whole family from around 11 months and up. Airport food is rarely interesting and if we care about our choices it is mostly junk, so we don’t have much to choose from. Plus flying does not go well for everyone and sometimes it leaves us feeling bloated and dehydrated, so being prepared and bringing my own food pays off in many ways. My boys get very excited to see what I bring out of the backpack for lunch or a quick snack.

To start I keep and reuse all the jars that come through my kitchen.  My almond butter, coconut oil, sauces, pesto.. everything in a glass jar I will wash and save to use for baby food storage while travelling or out and about. Of course you can also just buy a jar but I really enjoy recycling. All you need is a small jar, box or even a little bag.

Goji berries. (Fountain of Youth)

Goij berries are new to some but old to many as they have been around for thousands of years. For a really good reason as they are wonderful, super nutritious and belong in the special SUPERFOODS category. They are a great source of iron during pregnancy and also while breastfeeding. Goji berries are a great power snack in your diet and mix perfectly with almonds.

– Boosts immune function

– Up to 4 times more antioxidants than blueberries

– Increases alkalinity

– Delivers anti-aging compounds

– Increased longevity and healthy hormones

– Provides liver protection

– Improves eyesight

– Improves blood quality

– Complete source of protein

– Enhances libido and sexual function

Mulberries.

Mulberries are wonderful because of their taste – my absolute all-time favorite berry. I was so pleased when I found out how healthy and incredible they are 😊 In the past I combined them with Goji berries and I love the combination but mulberries are another great nutritious power snack. My sons love them just like me. They carry a high level of ironwhich is why they make such a greatpregnancy snack.

– Great source of fiber

– Loaded with vitamins and minerals such as: vitamin C, iron, vitamin K, potassium,  vitamin E and folate.

– Lowers cholesterol

– Improves blood sugar controls

– Reduces the risk of several cancers

– Cleanses blood

– Cleanses liver and strengthens kidneys

– Anti-aging properties

– Prevents premature grey hair

– Prevent colds and flu

Golden raisins.

Here you may also use regular raisins,  the brown ones that we all recognize. I just found this brand of raw organic golden raisins in Centro Botanico. It seems to me that there isn’t much nutritional difference between the two. The golden ones are slightly sweeter so it might be just about your personal taste. My older son loves these a lot, so I stick to buying them from time to time 🙂 I don’t think I know a child that does not like raisins, which is a good thing since they have loads of good stuff. Although please remember that they are also high in sugar, so I’d suggest eating them in moderation. Be sensible.

– Relieves constipation

– A healthy way to gain weight because not all people have the same problems with weight. Some need to lose it and some need to keep it on. This makes a great snack  for athletes and people who do a lot of physical work.

– Cancer prevention

– Helps cure fevers

– High level of iron

– Great source of potassium and magnesium

– Protects bones and eyes against infections

– Helps bone formation and calcium absorption

– Promotes good cardiac health

This  mix is to be used as afantastic snack not as a meal . This is a great dessert or a mid-morning or afternoon “pick me up” 🙂

My sons love to snack on this during TV time and now we are spending more time in the park so a jar of this in the stroller comes in handy. As a healthy alternative to my snack cravings I will reach for this when I am in the mood for something sweet.

I hope you try and like it.

Love JM

@Photo, www.mamafedona.com