Morning Sickness and a New Recipe... Finally!

Clearly, I miscalculated the ability of morning sickness to knock me out. I've been so sick the past few weeks that I haven't been able to look at food recipes, much less cook them.  I've mainly been existing off of fruit, cereal, crackers, and Mrs. Grass Soup. As I told you on the phone, I think *fingers crossed* I am coming out of the worst part now, so I decided to make a recipe i've been craving since yesterday.  I thought you might like it, even though I know dad doesn't like beans very much. It's lentil soup, and it was kind of perfect for today.  Joel opened our window so a kind of cold (not too cold) breeze is coming in, making this a really comfy and toasty kind of soup.

Vegetable and Lentil Soup
1 1/2 cups dry brown lentils
1/2 cup dry yellow split peas
1 carrot diced into small cubes
2 cloves garlic pressed
5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups water
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 cup chopped fresh spinach


Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrot and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. After carrot pieces are tender, stir in broth and water and bring to a boil. Once boiling add, tomatoes, lentils, split peas, and spices. Turn heat to a simmer and cover. Allow to cook for 20 - 30 minutes, or until lentils begin breaking away from skin. Add spinach and stir until wilted, about 1-2 minutes.
Serve hot!
This definitely hit the spot today!

Pregnancy Diet Meals

Dear Mom,

In addition to updates on our life (which I haven't been great at yet) i've decided to begin keeping track of the foods i'm eating on here, to make sure i'm getting all (or most, some days) of the nutrients I need in my vegetarian diet to promote a healthy pregnancy and baby!

Elizabeth Somer a dietitian and author of Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy: The Complete Guide to Eating Before, During and After your Pregnany lays out a very good list of the nutrients and foods a pregnant mom should be making sure are a part of her diet.  I'm basing a lot of plan on the serving sizes and foods she talks about. :)

Here's what I plan on trying to fit into our meal plan each day to make sure I'm getting the proper nutrients. This list is based on the information I found from Elizabeth Somer at this link here.

Omega-3 fatty Acids: Flax seed, walnuts, dark leafy green veggies, kidney and pinto beans, squash, canola oil, broccoli, cauliflower, and papaya. (some brands of eggs, milk, soy beverages, orange juice, yogurt, bread, and cereal are fortified with algae-based (vegetarian) omega-3 DHA)

Beyond the Omega-3's you should include:
4 servings of cooked dried beans and peas (full of zinc, iron, and protein)
4 servings of calcium-rich foods (nonfat or low-fat cows milk, or calcium-and-vitamin-D fortified soy milk)
8-10 servings of fruits (3-5) and vegetables (5-7) - full of antioxidants
6-11 servings of whole grains (brown rice, oatmeal, or multi-grain bread)
1 + servings of vitamin B12 rich foods (milk, fortified soy milk, egg yolk, or fermented soy products)


That being said, here are two recipes, I made for our dinner, that try to incorporate as many of these foods as possible!

Vegetable Multi-grain Quesadillas (Nubbit Approved*)

Servings: 2 quesadillas

 Ingredients:

4 Multigrain Tortillas
1/4 tsp Olive Oil (per Quesadilla)
1 cup Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes diced
1 avocado diced
3 green onions chopped
1 cup fresh spinach chopped

Place one tortilla on top of olive oil in frying pan. Sprinkle 1/2 of cheddar cheese on top. Add 1/2 of the cherry tomatoes, avocado, green onions, and spinach. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese on top of the vegetables. Top with 2nd tortilla and cook over medium heat until lightly browned on both sides.

* Nubbit is the first stuffed animal we've bought for our new addition. :)


This next recipe is super healthy, because all of the vegetables involved are uncooked which means they still retain all of their nutrients! This tasted really good too, although now with morning sickness I'm not sure i'll be able to eat it again for a little while. Broccoli has gone from being my favorite vegetable to one of my least favorite because of this pregnancy... I'm definitely looking forward to liking broccoli again.

Vegetable Risotto (Also Nubbit approved, though he opted out of the photo...)
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

2 cups Arborio Rice
1/2 cup Olive Oil
6 cups No-chicken broth
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1 small Zucchini
1 medium head of Broccoli
1 cup of Spinach
1 cup of Kale
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste








Heat a large stock pot to medium-high heat and add olive oil and onion powder. Add the Arborio rice and mix thoroughly to ensure the olive oil fully coats each grain. Ladle about 1 cup of chicken broth into your rice at a time, gently mix with a rubber spatula or wood spoon. Continually stir the rice to ensure it does not stick to the bottom of the pot.

When the rice starts to look dry (about 2 minutes) add another cup of broth. Continue doing this until all the liquid has been mixed in (approximately 30-40 minutes)

While the rice is cooking, thoroughly wash all of your vegetables, and chop them into medium sized pieces. Pulse veggies in a food processor or blender until you are happy with the size. When rice is finished cooking add in your pulsed, raw vegetables, cheese, and salt/pepper. Mix well for a few minutes and serve hot!

This was so delicious.  I found the original recipe here, but made a few changes to the ingredients.  I was cautious about adding the white wine, since i'm pregnant. I know that a bunch of people say it's fine to add to cooking, but many people say it may not be so safe as well.  I decided to err on the side of caution. Don't want to take any chances with baby Sanford! I put in the 6 cups of no-chicken broth and the rice was definitely tender enough.

I hope you like these recipes mom!

Love,
Emily