Getting Healthy: Meals to kick start your plan for healthy eating
Heather Tallman, aka Basilmomma, shares her personal journey of weight loss, and gain, and how she’s turning it all around. But Heather says she won’t use fad diets, weird food, or wasted gym memberships. She shares two meals that are good examples of healthy food with great flavor: Farro Chopped Salad with Coconut Chicken and Ginger Soy Soba Noodles..
I am always revamping my lifestyle. I thinking I am an imperfect work in progress.”
Heather is no stranger to weight loss. Her journey started six years ago when she lost 165 pounds.
there is no magic bullet and everyone has a different path…for me I exercised like it was my job…I had to really restrict my calories, there is no magic pill because I’ve tried them…no magic shake, I’ve had them all.”
But her journey was not a smooth one and she has now gained back about half of what she lost.
I did really well and got to exactly where I wanted to be…and then life happened and it was really easy for me to not work out and to eat things that made me feel better.”
Heather concentrates on making healthy meals for her family and is working with her doctor as a guide to a healthy lifestyle. She is working on it and we hope our viewers, like the Indy Style family, will be there to support and an encourage her as she continues her journey.
Visit her website at basilmomma.com
RECIPES
Coconut Chicken on Ginger Soy Soba Noodles
• 1 bunch of green onions- green parts only, sliced very thin
• 1 tsp of fresh ginger- I used Gourmet Garden pre minced
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 3 TB low sodium soy sauce
• 2 TB rice wine vinegar
• ⅓ C vegetable or canola oil
• 2 tsp of sugar
• zest of 1 lime
• juice of 1 lime
• ½ C cilantro, chopped
• Chicken:
• 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast or 3 large breasts
• 1 can of light coconut milk
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• ziplock bag- gallon size
• Veggies:
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into matchstix or thin strips
• 1 bunch of baby bok choy, cleaned and trimmed of leafy green part and root end, sliced thin
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced or cut into strips
• 1 lime, quartered as garnish
• ¼ C chopped peanuts, as garnish
• cilantro as garnish
• 8 oz package soba- cooked al dente, drained and rinsed with cool water
Instructions
1. Marinade the chicken 2 hours to overnight.
2. Remove from marinade and pan saute or roast in the oven.
3. Thinly slice, set aside.
4. Wash, peel/trim and chop all veggies and set aside.
5. Cook soba as per instructions, set aside.
6. Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
7. Toss dressing with noodles that are still in pan.
8. Evenly distribute noodles into serving bowls.
9. Layer on veggies.
10. Top with chicken.
11. Garnish with lime wedge, cilantro and peanuts (all optional).
Farro Chopped Salad
• 3 C cooked farro, follow package instructions, cook and allow to cool
• 1 red pepper, diced small
• 1 yellow pepper, diced small
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced small
• 1 small zucchini, peeled, seeded and diced small
• 1 small red onion, diced small
• 2 C chopped arugula or spinach (or a combo of both) think 2 handfulls
• 1 C chopped romaine
• ½ C chopped fresh parsley
• ½ C chopped fresh basil
• 1 large can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 C (or 1 small box) cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced
• ½ C pitted green olives, chopped
• 4 oz crumbled goat cheese (or feta if you prefer)
• garnish with toasted pecan pieces, optional
• Dressing:
• 2 lemons, juiced
• zest of 1 of the lemons
• 1 C high quality extra virgin olive oil
• salt/pepper to taste
• 1 TB balsamic vinegar (taste before adding because the lemon might be enough acid for the dressing) or as a finishing drizzle. Balsamic reduction if you have it would be great as well.
Instructions
1. Cook farro, set aside.
2. Chop each salad ingredient and layer in a serving bowl.
3. Be sure to chop each item to about the same size for a uniform bite.
4. Whisk dressing ingredients in a separate bowl.
5. Taste and season as you see fit.
6. Add the farro to the salad ingredients.
7. Toss the salad with the dressing.
8. Serve.