Tag: fall

Moroccan Spiced Veggie Wrap

As I mentioned in my last post, I am closely watching my cholesterol intake, so I’ve spent many an hour online, researching foods, checking numbers, reading nutrition labels, for foods that I thought I knew all about. When your food goals change overnight it’s like starting at square one. You have to learn your nutrition facts all over again. I’ve been keeping track of how much cholesterol, obviously, but also saturated fat, is

As I mentioned in my last post, I am closely watching my cholesterol intake, so I’ve spent many an hour online, researching foods, checking numbers, reading nutrition labels, for foods that I thought I knew all about. When your food goals change, overnight, it’s like starting at square one. You have to learn your nutrition facts all over again. I’ve been keeping track of how much cholesterol, obviously, but also saturated fat, is in the foods that I consume. I know that I need to eat more grains, less butter, bacon, and cheese (in other words: Life.) but now, I’m concerned with eating too many carbs. Did you know if you eat a half a cup of oatmeal, with a banana sliced on top, that’s 54 carbs? Yikes. That’s before any milk or sweetener! With diabetes woven through the genes, on both sides of my family, I’ve been carefully watching my carbs, for more than a decade. Now, I feel like I can’t eat anything,therefore, I want to eat everything in sight. You know, as soon as you tell yourself you can’t eat something, it becomes the Holy Grail. I’ve been keeping track of my numbers in a food journal, until this all becomes routine. I was feeling quite proud of myself, because I had consumed no cholesterol and very little saturated fat for a few days running. Well, my husband happened by, right at that moment, and oh-so-helpfully pointed out that “if you don’t eat any cholesterol, your body will make it.” Hence, I have no idea what the H-E-Doubles I’m supposed to be eating. Grrrr. The one thing I know I can eat, without concern, is vegetables. I can eat all the vegetables. So, this wrap was dinner, while the boys were eating, can ya guess? It starts with a B and smells like heaven. (At least, my version of heaven…is that weird?) Bacon! BLT wraps. Those little…darlings were eating bacon. In front of me. Again. When I gave him the stink eye, the oldest one,defensively claimed “I’m trying to get it out of here, so it doesn’t keep tempting you!” How kind.

Moroccan spice is very aromatic. Which is why I picked it. Hoping to overpower the ambrosial scent of bacon, wafting through my kitchen, as I was grilling vegetables on my panini maker. On an aside, I wouldn’t actually recommend this. This was done out of desperation, not good sense.

Once I got the squash started, and sprinkled with a little Ras El Hanout, I was starting to feel a little better about my bacon-free, forthcoming wrap. I challenge anyone, to stay cynical, when confronted with the piquant aroma of cumin, cloves, ginger, paprika, cardamom, and coriander and nutmeg meandering through your kitchen. You can buy Ras El Hanout at most grocery stores or make your own. To make your own: Toss a tsp. of each into a mortar and pestle, and mix thoroughly. You can also add, salt, pepper, and turmeric, cinnamon, sugar. Try different combinations and find what you love. To make this wrap, Here’s what you’ll need:

For the filling:

  • Vegetables for grilling (squash, eggplant, potatoes, garlic, onion, leeks)
  • Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
  • Ras El Hanout

Choose an array of vegetables, use whatever you have on hand, brush with olive or avocado oil, arrange on grill (or panini maker;). Grill until tender, then layer on a whole wheat wrap.

If you look closely, under the pile of veggies on this wrap, you may see a weird orange substance sticking out from underneath. You may be thinking: “That looks like cheese!” Busted…sort of. It’s Tofutti Dairy Free Cheese. This was surprisingly good, and meltier than I expected. For those of you thinking “Cheese? With Moroccan spices? That doesn’t work!” I thought that too. Then I thought: “I don’t give a hoot. I haven’t had cheese of any kind in five days. Etiquette be damned. This is about survival, people!”

These two products were a lifesaver.

For the Toppings:

  • Fresh greens for topping wrap (I used Beet Greens)
  • Tomatoes
  • Sprouts (I used, Pea and Leek sprouts)
  • Peppers
  • Silk Almond milk yogurt for dressing
  • More Ras El Hanout for sprinkling on top

Now you just, load up with fresh greens, tomatoes, peppers, drizzle (or glob, like I did here) some silk yogurt for the dressing, sprinkling with a little more Ras El Hanout, top with sprouts and you’re good to go. Then, tuck in the ends and fold over. Plate with some fruit and raw veggies, or seeds, if you’re running out of low cholesterol foods in your house, as well.

I went with cranberries, pomegranate arils, and sprouted pumpkin seeds.

That about wraps it up. Leave us a little feedback, and let us know your opinion. When you give this wrap a go, don’t forget to post on Insta with #canigetaramen. Find us on FB, and Pinterest under Can I Get A Ramen.

Rosemary-Citrus Butter Cookies

Let’s talk about rosemary. While living in Florida, we took this lovely little herb for granted; it just grew so easily. And everywhere. Now that we are up north again, I am truly struggling to keep a single plant alive, other than during the hottest months of summer, and even then, have been minimally successful. I’m not claiming to have a green thumb, quite the opposite, but can usually manage to keep a few herbs growing in the windowsill, for cooking. Lately though, I am pining for my rosemary, and with winter looming, my Florida life in general. I’ve learned to keep a jar of dried rosemary around, for emergencies, and with that and some orange marmalade, have tossed together some butter cookies that taste like home to me. If you’ve never baked with fruit and herbs together before, using citrus with most herbs is a sure bet. I love using rosemary as often as possible because it is so beneficial to brain and eye health. Did you know that just the smell of rosemary alone can improve your memory? Adding savory herbs to your baked goods is an intelligent and delicious way to reap the health benefits that these plants bring to the table. I’ve chosen orange to compliment the rosemary, but you could choose lemon, lime, grapefruit…whatever you have on hand. For me, these cookies taste of nostalgia and sunshine, and will have to hold me over until I get back home. Ready to give them a try? Here’s what you’ll need:

For the Cookies:

  • 2 3/4 C. flour
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1/3 c. powdered sugar
  • 1/2 butter
  • 1/3 c. coconut oil
  • 1/4 c. coconut milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. butter flavoring

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix sugars, oils and butters in a second bowl. Combine with dry ingredients, adding water milk, egg, salt and butter flavoring. Mix well, then form into a dough ball, rolling out to 1/2 inch thickness then, cut shapes out and bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Dip in the glaze while still warm and top with rosemary, and a bit of sea salt.

For the Glaze:

  • 1/2 c. powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp. orange marmalade
  • 1/8 c. coconut milk

Combine ingredients in bowl, set aside until cookies come out of oven. Glaze will harden when the cookies are completely cooled.

Don’t hesitate to drop us a line when you try these cookies and let us know what you think. Do you love mixing savory herbs into your baking? We’d love to hear from you!