Coaching with Gretchen

Movement, Mindfulness & Self-Care Coaching with Gretchen Schock

Recipes

Healthy Lunches Made Easy!

Recipes

This is how I like to make easy lunches for the week- Buddha Bowls!

My easy formula will allow you to make quick, healthy meals without much work. Consider this meal prep but the EASY way! Put the recipes away. I follow this simple formula and you can as well!

  • Four veggies
  • Two proteins
  • Two grains

And then add various salad dressings or dips to keep it interesting.

The four veggies can be prepared however you’d like them. Maybe you want to roast some of them, or maybe you’d rather chop and enjoy them raw. And quite possibly you’d like a combo of the two options! In regards to my two proteins, I like to have a plant protein and an animal protein. I know this is what works best for my body and lifestyle, but you can build your Buddha bowl however you’d like! For the grains, sometimes it’s rice or quinoa, and sometimes it’s crackers and bread. The possibilities are endless!

So what did I make this week?

  • Cut cherry tomatoes
  • Chopped raw peppers
  • Roasted carrots
  • Salad greens
  • Curry chickpeas
  • Ground Chicken cooked with mushrooms and onions
  • Brown rice
  • Crackers
  • And hummus because we had some leftovers.

Try this easy formula and take the guesswork out of “What will I eat for lunch?” Let me know in the comments if you give it a try.

Mango Pineapple Pork Loin Slow Cooker Tacos

Recipes

My youngest kid is a senior in high school, and I feel the clock ticking on our time together before she leaves for college. We share custody of our kids. They alternate back and forth between the two houses, so they aren’t with us for half of the month. As the college acceptance letters come in, I have this new awareness of our limited time together. And because of that, I’ve been prioritizing the time we have together differently and focusing on creating more quality moments together.

Now don’t get me wrong, we have a jam-packed schedule like most families in America. My wife and I both work full-time and volunteer with different organizations, my daughter goes to high school, volunteers, and works part-time. So it often feels like a juggling act come Sunday night when my wife and I coordinate our calendars to figure out who is driving and/or picking up our daughter from school that week.

But I’ve come to realize that I don’t want to spend the little time I have making elaborate recipes for the family right now. Instead, I need healthy shortcuts that get a meal on the table without a lot of thought on my part. And that is where this recipe comes in!

Using Sam’s Fresh Salsa in a new and different way allowed me to get a meal on the table that everyone loved! You can purchase Sam’s Fresh Salsa at: ShopRite, Acme, and Safeway. If they are not in your local store, ask them to carry Sam’s Fresh Salsa products! Seriously, it’s the best salsa I’ve had from a store.

You can purchase Sam’s Fresh Salsa at: ShopRite, Acme, and Safeway. If they are not in your local store, ask them to carry Sam’s Fresh Salsa products!

Mango Pineapple Pork Loin Slow Cooker Tacos

*You will need a crockpot for this recipe.

Ingredients:
1-2 pounds of pork loin
Two: 12oz containers of Sam’s Fresh Mango Pineapple Salsa
One can of refried black beans
Soft flour tortillas
Cheddar cheese, shredded or non-dairy cheddar shreds
Guacamole
One bell pepper, chopped

Place pork loin in a slow cooker with two containers of Sam’s Fresh Mango Pineapple Salsa on low for 6 hours. Ensure the pork loin is covered with the salsa above and under.

When the pork loin is done cooking, take a fork and sharp knife and shred the meat and then stir. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Take the tortillas out of the packaging, wrap them in aluminum foil, and place them in the oven for 10 minutes until thoroughly heated.

At the same time as the tortillas are heating up, chop your bell pepper and cook the refried beans on the stovetop on medium-low heat. To assemble the perfect taco, smear the refried beans on a tortilla, then a portion of pork loin topped with chopped bell pepper, cheese, and guacamole.

Spend more time talking with your family around the dinner table and less time prepping the meal in the kitchen. Enjoy!

If you want to learn more about Sam’s Salsa and its various flavors, check out their website and social media handles. https://samssalsa.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamsOriginalFreshSalsa
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samsoriginalfreshsalsa/

Easy Broccoli “Cheese” Soup – Vegan, Gluten-free, Non-Dairy Recipe

Recipes

People often assume I am vegan or vegetarian simply because I am a yoga instructor. I can’t think of other professions I have encountered where people assume the food you prefer to consume is based on your occupation. It’s such an odd thing, wouldn’t you say?

This train of thought is linked to one of the yoga principles, Ahimsa, which means non-harming. And yes, many yoga folks take that to mean that they won’t harm animals to eat. However, Ahimsa is rooted in Hindu and Buddhist traditions, so the water can get a bit murky regarding vegetarianism and yogis when you practice and believe in a different religion.

Ghandi

Here is a little Merriam-Webster dictionary fact: Ahimsa has been part of the English language since at least the late 19th century, but the word didn’t gain the attention of the English-speaking world until the first half of the 20th century, when it was recognized as an important component of the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Ahimsa comes from a Sanskrit word meaning “noninjury,” and Gandhi’s policy of nonviolent protest played a crucial role in the political and social changes that eventually led to India’s independence from Britain in 1947.

I believe that each person needs to eat in a way that nourishes their body, vegan and vegetarianism are not the right fit for everyone, and that’s okay! But, let’s be honest with ourselves here; even meat eaters can consume a bit more vegetables! That is why I created this veggie-packed soup that offers a nice cleanse to your system and is perfect for the start of fall.

Please note that this recipe will need a high-end blender or food processor.

Ingredients:

  • One onion, chopped
  • Five large carrots, chopped
  • Two medium potatoes, chopped
  • Two stalks of celery, chopped
  • Two Tablespoons of avocado oil
  • Three teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Soup Base
  • Five cups of water
  • Four cups of almond milk or other non-dairy milk
  • Two teaspoons of minced garlic
  • Six cups of broccoli, florets, and stalks are okay
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • Salt and pepper to taste

First, begin by chopping all of your vegetables, and then put the onions and oil in a large pan over medium-high heat to brown. Then add the celery, carrots, potatoes, and more oil if necessary. Cook over medium heat, covered, often checking to stir until the carrots can be sliced in half with a spatula. This should take around 15 minutes.

Add three cups of water and the bouillon base to the pan. You can use 3 cups of vegetable stock instead of the bouillon base if you prefer. Bring to a boil. Then add the broccoli, garlic, and non-dairy milk, stir and then cover and cook for 5-7 minutes.

Ladle out some of the soup into the blender or food processor; this will need to be done in batches, so have a soup pot ready to transfer the blended soup into after you have pureed it. Blend the soup until smooth by adding the additional two cups of water to each segment to make a creamy consistency. Once you have blended all the ingredients, return the pot to the stovetop over medium heat, and add the nutritional yeast. Stir until blended.

Side note: Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor to vegan foods. It is also gluten-free. It is an excellent source of dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

This recipe makes six hearty servings but could also be stretched to eight servings if you also serve a salad and bread. I prefer to make large batches of soup to freeze individual servings in ziplock bags for weeks when our family schedule can become insane with commitments.

For toppings, you can try croutons or sliced almonds. If you have folks who can digest dairy, you can top it with shredded cheddar cheese or goat cheese gives it a nice earthy punch! Enjoy!!

Easy and Healthy Dairy-Free Pizza

Recipes

Our family has a Friday pizza night tradition. Making homemade pizza crusts is relatively easy, and that is awesome sometimes to do but on busy weeks, when I want to hit the shortcut button opening a box and putting the pie in the oven is the kind of shortcut I need.

But since recently becoming diagnosed with an allergy to eggs and dairy, it’s been a bit of a letdown to actually eat pizza. We buy frozen pizzas rather than from a pizza shop to save money. And I’ve tried every frozen variety on the market, and none have genuinely wowed me.

On a recent trip to the grocery store, I noticed a vegan refrigerated pizza crust on deep discount, so I thought I’d give it a try. Unfortunately, after doing a web search it doesn’t look as though it’s available anymore in my area, so I’m not going to link to it at this time. I also wanted to try Parmela Creamery’s plant-based mozzarella cultured from cashew milk. Both items were total winners!


Here is how I made this delicious vegan pizza:

I started by heating 2 cups of PuraVida Prima Vera Mistura vegetables that I buy from Costco. These frozen veggies are staples in my freezer! They are perfect when I don’t have time to chop vegetables but want to have something good and healthy on hand. Highly recommend trying them if you haven’t already. I also had a few cherry tomatoes in the fridge, so I sliced them in half and added them to the PuraVida veggies.

I made the pizza crust according to the package directions, then in the final few minutes, I pulled it out, smeared crushed garlic, olive oil, and a layer of cheese on the top and put it back in the oven to cook.

Then according to the crust directions, I pulled it out and added the now cooked veggies, a handful of arugula, and another layer of the vegan mozzarella and returned to the oven for the final cooking time. Within 15 minutes, dinner was on the table, and it was delicious!!

We all have busy weeks and dinners when we don’t even want to think about having to cook something. I get it! It’s so tempting to want to pull into the drive-thru, but making food at home is healthier and more cost effective than any of the options at a fast food restaurant.

Give this make-your-own pizza idea a try with your family. Buy whatever refrigerated pizza crust you can find and have everyone make their pizza how they like it. Encourage your family to add vegetables, even if it means a layer of cheese needs to be on top. Pull random leftovers out of the fridge and try adding some of them as pizza toppings, who says mac-n-cheese can’t be a pizza topping! Doing this reduces the food waste in your trashcan and saves you money. Be an example for others and make your pizza as healthy as possible so your kids can see your creativity and determination to live a healthy lifestyle.

The dressing that does it all – Sesame Ginger

Recipes

It’s hard to find a dressing that will appease a group or won’t overpower the natural flavors of the food.

One of my main concerns during the summer months is that the dish I make to bring to a cookout doesn’t have to have to be refrigerated, including the dressing.

Sesame Ginger is my go-to summer month dressing!

I use it on salads, of course. But I also use it to marinate tofu, and then I toss it in with the pasta and sauteed vegetables to make a delicious summer pasta salad that doesn’t need to be kept cool.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons Orange Juice
  • 2 Tablespoons Water
  • 1/4 cup organic rice vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons ginger paste
  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
  • Juice from 1 lime

Whisk together and drizzle over tofu or seafood and one box of pasta with sautéed vegetables. Double this recipe if you need two meals.

This dressing is vegan, gluten-free, paleo, and whole 30-friendly.

Gluten-free Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Recipes

It was recently strawberry season here in Maryland, and this year rather than picking the strawberries myself, I ordered strawberries from a local farm, and they delivered them to my house.

When you pick them yourself, you have the visual in front of you to tell yourself that you have enough. Ordering online by the pound is dangerous. Especially if, like me, you have no idea really what a pound of strawberries looks like. Or 15 pounds, in my case. 🙂

My freezer is now filled with pre-portioned zip lock bags ready to make smoothies. And the surplus of strawberries gave me the opportunity to try some new recipes. These bars make a great snack or a healthier dessert.

Strawberry oatmeal bars on a plate with a fork

Preheat oven to 375F.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Quick Oats
  • 1 cup Almond Flour
  • 1/3 cup Sugar
  • 6 Tablespoons Butter, melted (I used a plant-based butter, and it was great)
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/4 cup Milk (I used almond milk)
  • 1 cup Strawberries, diced
  • 1/4 cup Almond Flour, sprinkled and pressed into the top.

Instructions

  • Oil an 8×8 baking pan or use waxed paper as a liner with the edges hanging off to use as handles to lift the bars out of the pan.
  • In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients first (minus the 1/4 cup of almond flour) and then add the wet ingredients and stir until completely combined.
  • Pour into the pan and press into place.
  • Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of almond flour across the top of the mixture and press into the mixture.
  • Bake the bars for 50 minutes until the crumb topping smells toasty and looks golden.
  • Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool before cutting the bars up.

Make 16 bars.