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Tosca Reno

Eat Clean Vegetarian Chili and Baba Ghanoush

by Eating Bird Food on February 4, 2012

Happy Saturday morning to ya.

My last post gave quite a few healthy snack ideas for Super Bowl Sunday and I’m back today with a couple more. One is for an eggplant dip called baba ghanoush and the other is for a veggie chili. Both recipes (and the photos that accompany them) are Eat Clean originals created by Tosca Reno. As you all know, I think Tosca is awesome and love the Eat Clean principles. Needless to say, I’m excited to share these two recipes along with a few of Tosca’s tips for Super Bowl parties.

I haven’t tried the chili or dip yet, but I wanted to post them before the Super Bowl (just in case you’ve waited until the last minute like to me decide what you’re going to make.) I’m planning to try my hand at both recipes this weekend so I’ll report back with how they turn out.

I’ve had baba ghanoush plenty of times but I’ve never made it at home so this one is going to be fun to test out!

Eat Clean Baba Ghanoush.jpg

Baba Ghanoush

By Tosca Reno

Baba ghanoush is an eggplant-based dish that originated in the Middle East. In North America, it’s used as a dip for pita and vegetables, but in Egypt it’s a side dish. Grilling the eggplant before peeling the skin gives it a delightful, smoky flavor.

Servings: 12 x ¼ cup,

 Prep time: 5 minutes,

 Cooking time:

 25-35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 large eggplant (1½ to 2 lbs)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup / 60 ml tahini
  • 2 Tbsp / 30 ml fresh lemon juice
  • ½ tsp / 2.5 ml ground cumin
  • ¾ tsp / 3.75 ml sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp / 15 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp / 15 ml chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Using a fork, prick eggplant six to eight times. (This will keep the eggplant from exploding when it cooks.) Place eggplant on grill to char skin, turning two or three times, 10 to 15 minutes. When skin starts to easily peel away, it is charred well.
  2. Using tongs, transfer eggplant to a baking sheet and finish cooking in the oven until very soft, 15 to 20 minutes. To test doneness, stick a bamboo skewer into center of widest part of eggplant and if it easily slides in without resistance, it is cooked through. Remove eggplant and let sit at room temperature until cool enough to handle. Peel away skin and discard.
  3. Cut peeled eggplant into pieces to fit into a food processor or blender. Add garlic, tahini, lemon juice, cumin and salt, and blend until smooth. Scrape baba ghanoush into a shallow serving bowl and using a spoon, make a well in center. Drizzle olive oil over top and in center well. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve with warm pita wedges or veggies, or use on a sprouted Ezekial tortilla to make a wrap.

Nutritional Value

Per serving: Calories: 105 | Calories from Fat: 72 | Protein: 3 g | Carbs: 8 g | Total Fat: 8 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Trans Fat: 0 g | Fiber: 4 g | Sodium: 200 mg | Cholesterol: 0 mg

And, it wouldn’t be the Super Bowl without a big ol’ pot of chili! Hopefully my looks this pretty.

Eat Clean Vegetarian Chili.jpg

Vegetarian Chili

By Tosca Reno

Servings: 6, Prep time: 25 minutes, Cooking time: 35 minutes

Beans are an ideal source of Clean-Eating protein and even those who aren’t vegetarian love this “meaty” meatless chili recipe. It is still a satisfying version of chili without losing out on hearty flavor. Use leftovers in a wrap for lunch the next day.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp / 30 ml cumin seeds, toasted*
  • 2 Tbsp / 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
  • 1 head roasted garlic
  • 3 Tbsp / 45 ml chili powder
  • ¼ tsp / 1.25 ml red pepper flakes
  • Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 cup / 240 ml canned white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup / 240 ml canned great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup / 240 ml canned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup / 240 ml canned black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup / 240 ml canned corn kernels, rinsed and drained
  • 2½ cups / 600 ml water or low-sodium vegetable stock (gluten free if necessary)
  • 2 tsp / 10 ml crumbled, dried oregano
  • 2 tsp / 10 ml crumbled, dried basil
  • 4 squares dark (75% or more cocoa) organic chocolate
  • 28 oz / 784 g canned tomatoes
  • Juice of one fresh lime
  • Juice of one fresh lemon

Preparation

  1. In a Dutch oven, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, pepper and grated carrot and sauté until onion becomes soft and translucent. Stir in chili powder, toasted cumin seeds, red pepper flakes, sea salt and black pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add all remaining ingredients. Blend well. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately. This recipe can be served over brown rice for a hearty variation. Leftovers are perfect in a wrap.

*To toast cumin seeds: place seeds in a skillet and warm over medium heat until you begin to smell the spices. Shake the pan vigorously so the seeds don’t stick and burn. Remove from heat and set aside.

Nutritional Value

Calories: 329 | Calories from Fat: 72 | Protein: 15g | Carbs: 56g Dietary Fiber: 15g | Sugars: 9g | Fat: 8g | Sodium: 1190mg

Last but not least, here are a few of Tosca’s “rules” from her latest book, Just the Rules, that apply to Super Bowl Sunday. Use these tips and you’ll feel awesome after the Super Bowl instead of stuffed.

Color Up: Super Bowl junk is often a sea of fatty beige foods. Colorful foods are filled with more nutrients and flavor than bland, monotonous, processed foods. Opt for a rainbow of colors on your plate, which offers numerous health benefits.

Smaller Portions, Smaller Pants: A festive atmosphere can often create an eating frenzy, which leaves you feeling blah. It’s okay to enjoy an array of foods, just eat smaller portions. Remember one serving of lean protein is the size of your palm; one serving of complex carbohydrates from whole grain is the size of your cupped hand; and one serving of complex carbs from fruit and vegetables is two hands cupped together.

Fletcherize and Swallow: Do you ever fill your plate, only for the food to disappear moments later? Gobbling food is a common disorder in our fast-paced society. Remind yourself to sloooooooow down, eating is not a race. Eating slowly will not only allow you to enjoy your food, but will help you determine when you’re full and help aid in digestion.

Good Carbs, Bad Carbs: Carbs can be confusing, and are often given a bad rap! Stay away from ‘bad’ grocery store, processed carbs and stick to ‘good’ carbs like fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.

I hope you enjoy these two recipes. Have a great day! We’re touring another wedding ceremony/reception venue this morning (The Mill at Fine Creek), going to the grocery store and then I have a photography workshop all afternoon – it’s going to be a busy one.

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Eat Clean Christmas Giveaway

by Eating Bird Food on December 24, 2011

Happy Christmas eve!

As my gift to you I’m giving away two copies of the Eat Clean Diet Cookbook 2 by Tosca Reno! I love Tosca and have reviewed many of her books, including this one. Check out my review here.

You may remember seeing two of my favorite recipes from this cookbook before…

The Cherry Protein Pop’ems, a great snack for before or after a hard workout.

And more recently featured, the Vanishing Party Nuts. <– Definitely the most addicting roasted nuts I’ve ever had!

Of course there are many more tasty (and clean) recipes in the cookbook. To enter to win simply leave a comment telling me if you’ve read any of Tosca’s Eat Clean books or made any of her recipes before. Maybe you’re a big Tosca fan like me or perhaps this is your first time hearing about the Eat Clean Diet. Either way, let me know in the comments below!
For any extra entry you can do one of the following:

  • Become a fan of Eating Bird Food on Facebook and leave a comment on this post to let me know you’ve done so.
  • Tweet “All I want for Christmas is to win @toscareno’s Eat Clean Diet Cookbook 2 from @eatingbirdfood http://wp.me/pDCSr-2KI” and leave a comment on this post to let me know you’ve done so.
  • Share this giveaway via Facebook (just click the little Facebook button at the bottom of this post) and tag @EatingBirdFood, @toscareno and @eatcleandiet. Leave a comment on this post to let me know you’ve done so.

Okay, it’s bed time for me – the sooner I fall asleep the sooner santa will come. :)

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Tosca Reno Reveals Her Top Tips For a Better Body

August 9, 2011

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again – I LOVE Tosca Reno. She’s a huge inspiration to me. I have at least 4 of her books/cookbooks on my bookshelf and I’m always pulling them out for reference. The Eat Clean principles she advocates are lifestyle changes rather than a temporary diet. They include [...]

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Back At It

July 6, 2010

Hey yall! It’s back to the grind this morning! 3 day weekends are nice but sometimes they make it even harder to go to work. Although having a 4 day work week definitely helps. Sadly I didn’t take photos of all my weekend festivities AND to top it off, I never got around to making [...]

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The Ninja

January 6, 2010

After sleeping in for the past 2 weeks it’s become ridiculously hard to get myself up for AM gym visits. Since I’ve had to pry myself out of my cozy bed these past couple days I came up with a new (time-pressed, non-gym) morning ritual that includes 10 minutes of yoga upon waking. I either [...]

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Sticking With It

November 4, 2009

The brittany gets back her groove plan is going well thus far. I had another green smoothie aka green monster for breakfast yesterday after hitting up the gym for some cardio. This one was intensely green in color. I guess I added more kale than last time! Green Smoothie 1/2 tablespoon ground flax seed 1 [...]

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