Last week, I cooked something really delish for us. Soups are like comfort food to most people and I think I found my comfort food as trying to be more on the Vegan diet, Vegetable Minestrone.

Prepare:

Garlic and Onions to saute in Olive oil
Zucchini
Baby Asparagus
Tomatoes
Olives
Capers
Celery
Cauliflower
Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat pan and put olive oil, saute garlic and onions.
Put all the vegetables except tomatoes and basil. Turn off the stove.
2. In a blender, blend cut tomatoes, olive oil and a few cuts of basil.
3. Turn on the stove again and put the blended ingredients in the pan with the vegetables and put enough water to make a soup.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Top it off with fresh basil and a little of parmasen cheese.

We love to eat it with whole wheat tortilla bread. Healthy Hearty Meal, most definitely!

I took the time to make a wrap last week for my husband and I took these ingredients and search some benefits of each ingredient.

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Tortilla Wraps
Iceberg Lettuce
Tomatoes
Onions
Zucchini
Celery
Ground Almonds
Guacamole

Here are some of the benefits:

• The most significant health benefits of whole grains are their role in preventing chronic disease.
• Low in saturated fat and cholesterol (practically none) it’s a good source of iron, vitamin B6, K, A, and C. Furthermore, iceberg lettuce is high in dietary fiber, and contains traces of omega fatty acids, which is important for allover health.
• Tomatoes contain large amounts of vitamin C, providing 40 percent of the daily value (DV). They also contain 15 percent DV of vitamin A, 8 percent DV of potassium, and 7 percent of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of iron for women and 10 percent RDA for men.
• Onions are a very rich source of fructo-oligosaccharides. These oligomers stimulate the growth of healthy bifidobacteria and suppress the growth of potentially harmful bacteria in the colon. In addition, they can reduce the risk of tumors developing in the colon.
• The dietary ?ber in zucchini helps lower cholesterol by attaching itself to bile acids that the liver makes from cholesterol for digesting fat. Because ?ber binds so well with bile acid, thus crowding its ability to immediately digest fat, the liver is charged with producing more bile acid.
• Celery leaves has high content of vitamin A, whilst the stems are an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C with rich supplies of potassium, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium and plenty essential amino acids.
• Almonds are one of the most nutritious nuts around. They are dense in vitamins and minerals that help keep your body healthy. In addition to providing a hefty dose of protein and fiber, almonds also contain the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6. They also contain vitamin E, zinc, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium. While almonds do have fat in them, but it is monosaturated fat, which is the type that is great for your heart (also found in olive oil and salmon).
• Avocado, the main ingredient in guacamole, is a rich source of healthy fat. There are 15 g of fat in one-half cup of guacamole prepared in a traditional manner. The majority, or 10 g, is monounsaturated fat, the California Avocado Commission says. There are only 2 g of saturated fat, and no cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats decrease harmful LDL cholesterol, raise beneficial HDL cholesterol and lower your risk of stroke and heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.

I know I will be making more version of this.

I stopped drinking milk, it is a decision that I made after being dedicated to eating more veggies and fruits, I am still taking a Calcium supplement though, I take it once a day just to supplement while I get used to my diet. While I drink/take less milk, I want to pack with much veggies that are rich in Calcium and here are some in the list.

Turnip Greens: Cooked turnip greens yields about 200 mg of calcium in ½ cup serving. It also provides folate, vitamin, dietary fiber, copper and potassium. You can add slices of turnip and chopped turnip greens in mixed vegetable salads.

Cabbage: Cabbage and others vegetables belonging to the Brassicaceae family lead the list of high calcium foods. As per vegetable nutrition dats, cabbage (outside greens) is found to contain a high amount of calcium (about 190 mg per ½ cup serving) than other veggies.

Broccoli: Broccoli is another healthy vegetable, loaded with vitamins, calcium, selenium and dietary fiber. The amount of calcium in ½ cup serving of broccoli is 33 mg. Purchase fresh spears and cook for the right time to reap health benefits of broccoli.

Kale: Consuming ½ cup of cooked kale yields 100 mg of calcium. Besides, this mineral, it is a good source of proteins, vitamin, magnesium and iron. Another health benefit of kale is in lowering blood cholesterol, provided that it is consumed after steaming.

Bok Choy: Consumed in raw or boiled form, bok choy is one of the healthy vegetables high in calcium. Serving ½ cup of raw shredded bok choy is equivalent to having 37 mg calcium, while consuming the same amount after boiling provides 79 mg calcium.

Spinach: Best consumed by boiling or steaming, do not overcook spinach to conserve maximum nutrients in the dishes. Serving ½ cup of cooked spinach is sufficient to give 125 mg calcium. However, due to high amount of oxalate, absorption of calcium is lesser.

Dandelion Greens: In ½ cup of raw dandelion green, you get about 52 mg of calcium. Serving the same amount of boiled dandelion greens provides about 74 mg of calcium mineral. Also, this calcium enriched food contains high percentage of vitamin, folate dietary fiber, magnesium and phosphorus.

Carrot: This colorful root vegetable is a rich source of beta carotene and calcium along with other nutrients. Drink 1 cup fresh carrot juice and you will get 57 mg calcium out of it. Or else, add raw carrots in salads or consume steam carrots.

Collard Greens: Included in the list of vegetables high in calcium, collard greens are appreciated for their cholesterol lowering and cancer preventing health benefits. Consuming ½ cup of boiled collard greens gives 133 mg of calcium. In order to stay healthy, include collard greens (serving amount 1-1 ½ cups) 2-3 times per week.

Swiss Chard: This green leafy vegetable contains low calories and provides some of the essential nutrients, like vitamin C, B complex vitamins, beta carotene and minerals. With reference to food and nutrition data, consuming ½ cup of boiled swiss chard gives 51 mg calcium.

Artichoke: Whether you add raw artichoke or boiled artichoke, it is one of the good sources of calcium. According to nutrition reports, 1 fresh artichoke is sufficient to give as much as 56 mg calcium, while serving the same in boiled form provides 54 mg calcium.

Celery: Celery is best consumed raw in salads or cooked form. This low calorie green vegetable is a rich source of lutein, potassium and calcium. Serving 1 cup of raw celery yields 41 mg calcium. To reap maximum benefits, consume fresh celery in raw form.

Valentine’s Day is not just for couples because Valentine’s is all about love, you have to give love to each member of your family and it is very nice to give gifts to grandparents and since all my grandparents are long gone, I will definitely give gifts to my parents, who are already grandparents to my son. I know what to give my Dad and I only have to think of what to give my mom and I think I will give her the one that my friend suggested that she saw online which are berries for grandma’s birthday that she happens to give her grandma last December and she told me that they are so good. I think they are eye candies…

In a household, we need to plan all the meals for at least a week and as you grow older, you tend to plan healthier meals. I advise mothers out there to be more conscious of the calorie intake you and your family take in your bodies because it is very much important. There are so many nice recipes that we can cook for our family that can be delicious and healthy at the same time.

Here is a sample of a well planned meal from EatingWell.com

BREAKFAST
1 Cup Skim Milk
1 Orange, medium
1 Cup Cheerios Cereal

MORNING SNACK
1 Cup Cantaloupe Melon

LUNCH
Vietnamese-Style Beef & Noodle Broth
1 Whole-Wheat Pita Bread, small
1 Cup Skim Milk
1 Fudgsicle, no sugar added

AFTERNOON SNACK
2 Tablespoons Prepared Hummus
3 Ounces Celery Sticks

DINNER
1/2 Cup Cooked Brown Rice
Green & Yellow Beans with Wild Mushrooms
Roasted Cod with Warm Tomato-Olive-Caper Tapenade
1/2 Banana, small

You can get some of the recipes on the site and see more of those well planned meals there too.

I’m trying to condition myself of eating less meat because I am thinking of going vegetarian when I reach 40. I am not quite sure if I can do it, but I want to and so once in a while, I want to try vegetarian food. Glad that my husband’s agrees. He grew up eating meat, he is used to eating dry food like fried chicken, fried fish and the likes. When we met, he started trying other cuisines because I love trying out new cuisines, with me he learned eating, Indian, Mexican, Thai, Vietnamese, Italian foods. Anyway, I discovered a “not-so-new” restaurant in Quezon City called PIPINO by Pino and I ordered delivery from them. We had one vegetarian lunch at work…

Our Mango Tango salad for starters

His Friend Eggplant and Adobong Kangkong with Nilasing na Mangga and Brown Rice

My Portebello Inasal with Red Beet Puree, Ensaladang Talong and Brown Rice

Will I try PIPINO by Pino again? Most definitely.

My best friend asked me if I know how to make it and it got me really curious and since I love eggplants in Italian dishes, this is a must try very soon:

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the baking sheet
* 2 large eggplant, about 2 pounds
* Salt and pepper
* 2 cups basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
* 1 bunch fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
* 1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/8-inch thick
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
* 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs, lightly toasted under broiler

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Using some extra-virgin olive oil, oil a baking sheet.

Slice each eggplant into 6 pieces about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Lightly season each disk with salt and pepper and place on the oiled sheet. Bake the eggplant at 450 degrees F until the slices begin turning deep brown on top, about 12-15 minutes. Remove the eggplants from the oven. Remove the slices from the baking sheet and place them on a plate to cool.

Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F. In an 8 by 12-inch brownie pan, place the 4 largest eggplant slice evenly spaced apart. Over each slice, spread 1/4 cup of tomato sauce and sprinkle with a teaspoon of basil. Place one slice of mozzarella over each and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon grated Parmigiano. Place the smaller slices of eggplant over each of the disks and repeat with tomato sauce, basil, and the 2 cheeses. Repeat the layering again until all the ingredients are used.

Sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs over the top of the eggplant dish, and bake uncovered until the cheese is melts and the tops turn light brown, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Basic tomato sauce:

* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 Spanish onion, 1/4-inch dice
* 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
* 1/2 medium carrot, finely grated
* 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
* Salt

Tomato Sauce:

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Yield: 4 cups