Thursday, March 29, 2012

Reuben sandwiches - health benefits of sauerkraut

I have always loved sandwiches. Good bread has always been my drug of choice. For some it is chocolate, ice cream or anything sugary. Not, me, I LOVE bread. Sadly, I have discovered that breads made with white flour & high fructose corn syrup were the main causes of inflammation in my body. I started noticing that every time I eat white flour or HFCS my hands, feet, legs, etc. began to swell within an hour. Eliminating those ingredients from my diet has greatly reduced the inflammation and pain in my body.

I still love bread. But, I have learned to be very careful about which breads I eat. It is getting easier as more companies are realizing that consumers want better quality ingredients in their food, so they are making healthier breads. On a recent trip to my local grocery store, I found a Jewish Rye bread that was calling out to me. It is made by Oroweat with unbleached wheat flour, malted barley flour & rye flour and NO HFCS. I thought this bread would be wonderful to make one of my all time favorite sandwiches, THE REUBEN. There are many variations of the reuben. Some people use roast beef, some pastrami, some corned beef. Some use rye bread, some pumpernickel. Some use thousand island or russian dressing. Some use swiss cheese or other white cheeses. But in order to be a reuben the sandwich must be grilled and have sauerkraut. YUM!

I always use either pastrami or corned beef. In my opinion, roast beef is not a reuben and roast beef does not go with sauerkraut. But, to each his own. Also, my family is partial to Provolone cheese and we do not like thousand island or russian dressing. I love pumpernickel bread with mine sometimes, but Kevin doesn't care for pumpernickel bread. We do like a good spicy brown mustard with our reubens. So, here is my version of one of my favorite sandwiches.

REUBEN SANDWICH

Oroweat Jewish Rye Bread
2-3 slices of pastrami
sauerkraut (drained)
provolone cheese
butter
spicy brown mustard

1) Pour saurkraut in colander to drain off excess liquid.
2) Place skillet or griddle on medium-medium high heat.
3) While griddle is getting hot, butter both sides of bread.
4) Place bread on hot griddle. When first side is toasted, flip over & place pastrami, provolone & sauerkraut on toasted side of bread.
5) Place toasted side of other piece of bread on top.
6) After a few minutes, carefully flip sandwich over to toast the other side.
7) When cheese is melted & bread is toasted, remove from griddle, add spicy brown mustard & ENJOY.

Of course, if you have a panini or sandwich maker, you can skip the flipping over step.

I served with grilled asparagus on the side.


FYI - The only BAD ingredient here is the pastrami. Pastrami is a cured meat. Some people believe that cured meats cause cancer. I do limit my intake of cured meats, but for my body, that doesn't seem to affect me as much as the white flour, sugar & HFCS. So, again, it is all about choices and knowing what works for you.

Sauerkraut is SUPER healthy! It is anti inflammatory, anti fungal, high in Vitamins A & C, probiotic & cleans your "gut". I try to eat sauerkraut at least twice a week. And again, I only use real butter. The spicy brown mustard I use has turmeric in it, which is also anti inflammatory as well as being good for your liver & heart.

Here's a link to just one article on the healthy benefits of sauerkraut.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/374784-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-sauerkraut/



Friday, March 16, 2012

Healthier Gumbo with Flaxseed & Coconut oil

Here is a healthier version of my Gumbo. Using turkey sausage cuts down on the fat.  Using brown rice instead of white adds fiber & also has lower glycemic index. Flaxseed adds fiber and is super heart healthy. Flaxseed has lots of Omega 3's which are anti-inflammatory. And I keep reading & hearing great things about coconut oil. Dr. Oz & lots of others believe that adding 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to your diet everyday reduces belly fat. I've just recently started using the coconut oil, so hope to post more recipes with it later.

 HEALTHIER GUMBO   
 
1 pkg. Turkey smoked sausage (cut in 1/4 in. pieces)
chopped onion 
2-3 tbsp Coconut oil
1 pkg. frozen okra
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1 can RoTel tomatoes
chopped jalapeno or a couple dashes of hot sauce 
2 cups brown rice
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
chicken broth (about 4 small cans)
shredded cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts (2-4 pieces depending on how much chicken you want) OR use rotisserie chicken from the grocery store
Cayenne Pepper or Cajun Seasoning (a few dashes)
Minced garlic (to your taste)
2 handfuls of large thawed frozen shrimp (if desired)

 Place sausage & onion in soup pot with a coconut oil and stir fry a few minutes until sausage is browned & onions are tender. Add chicken broth, rice & flaxseed & bring to a boil for about 10 minutes.  Add tomatoes, okra, chicken and Cayenne Pepper and garlic to taste. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  Add more chicken broth if needed, depending on how soupy you want it.

Add a couple of handfuls of large shrimp to the pot the last 5 minutes.  I use thawed frozen shrimp. FYI – if you cook the shrimp too long, it will be rubbery. The frozen shrimp is already cooked, so you just need to incorporate it into your soup.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Sinus congestion & Gumbo

Cole & Tiffany are married! We got so much rain that they had to move the wedding indoors, but it was beautiful, she was gorgeous, the ceremony was priceless and I am a Mother in Law. I decided a long time ago that I would call her my daughter in love and never daughter in law. She is a wonderful addition to our family. They are so happy and that is what every Mom dreams of for her children. 

Spring has sprung in Oklahoma which means allergies and respiratory problems are plentiful. Several years ago I came up with my version of Gumbo. It is basically a jacked up chicken and rice soup. You can make it as spicy as you like. But, the spicier it is, the better it works at knocking out that sinus & chest congestion.

These days I make it a little healthier by using turkey smoked sausage instead of Kielbalsa and brown rice instead of white. Enjoy!
GUMBO   
 
1 pkg. Kielbalsa smoked sausage (cut in 1/4 in. pieces)
chopped onion
1 pkg. frozen okra
1 can of stewed tomatoes (Cajun recipe)
1 can RoTel tomatoes
chopped jalapeno or a couple dashes of hot sauce 
2 cups Minute rice
chicken broth (about 4 small cans)
shredded cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts (2-4 pieces depending on how much chicken you want) OR use rotisserie chicken from the grocery store
Cayenne Pepper or Cajun Seasoning (a few dashes)
Minced garlic (to your taste)
2 handfuls of large thawed frozen shrimp (if desired)

 Place sausage & onion in soup pot with a little oil and stir fry a few minutes until sausage is browned & onions are tender. Add chicken broth & rice & bring to a boil for about 10 minutes.  Add tomatoes, okra, chicken and Cayenne Pepper and garlic to taste. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  Add more chicken broth if needed.

Add a couple of handfuls of large shrimp to the pot the last 5 minutes.  I use thawed frozen shrimp. FYI – if you cook the shrimp too long, it will be rubbery. The frozen shrimp is already cooked, so you just need to incorporate it into your soup.

TASTES EVEN BETTER THE SECOND DAY!!  Yummy with cornbread!!!