Recommended Product: Sprouted Corn Tortillas

This is a short post about a Sprouted Corn Tortillas, a gluten-free alternative to Sprouted Corn Tortillaswheat tortillas.

I found this product, in the frozen food section at Whole Foods Market on the Bowery, in New York City.  They’re made by Food For Life.  One tortilla is 60 calories, and contains no added sugar.

Warm the tortilla in an oiled skillet until firm.  Add your favorite filling, and enjoy having a healthy meal.

The price of one package is $3.49 for 12 tortillas.  If you live outside of New York City, you’ll most likely pay less than that.

Irene Portrait Paint BlackIrene Pastore is a native New Yorker, health and fitness blogger, and personal trainer. Irene owns this website, and writes all the blog posts. For her complete bio, visit the About Page.

Copyright 2016 Irene Pastore and Tour De Core.com

Quick Gluten-Free Buckwheat-Rice Pancake Recipe

Buckwheat & Rice Pancake Recipe: Fast, Healthy, Gluten-Free

Eating healthy in New York City is top priority for people living a healthy lifestyle.  PANCAKES free imagesThe downside to city living, is the hectic pace, stress, and not having the time to make sustainable food choices.

No matter where you live, you’ll like this recipe because it tastes great, doesn’t take a lot of time, and the ingredients are very good for you.

Buckwheat is a gluten-free seed, not a grain.  It’s an excellent wheat substitute for anyone who wants to avoid eating wheat, or those who have celiac disease.  Pancakes made with buckwheat are darker in color than those baked with wheat, or spelt flour.

Rice is a gluten-free grain.  Brown rice flour is used for baking cookies, and cakes. Combined with buckwheat flour, it produces light, fluffy pancakes with crisp edges.

At first glance, this recipe may look complicated.  But, after you’ve used it a few times, you’ll get the hang of it.

  • There are only 8 ingredients. 
  • It’s easy and fast to put together. 
  • Make a batch and store it in the fridge.

BUCKWHEAT & RICE PANCAKE RECIPE

Dry Ingredients

3/4 Organic Cup Buckwheat Flour

3/4 Organic Cup Brown Rice Flour

3 1/2 Tablespoons Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Sea Salt

1 Tablespoon Xylitol (or cane sugar, or stevia.

Liquid Ingredients

1 Egg (or Egg Replacer)

3 Tablespoons Oil (or canola, coconut, or your favorite oil).

1 1/4 Cup Milk (or hemp, soy, almond,  or other favorite milk).  If you use hemp milk, you’ll need to add more liquid, because the batter will be too thick.

Utensils

Measuring Spoons, Fork or Whisk, Flour Sifter, Mixing Bowls, Measuring Cups, Skillet, Pancake Rings (optional)

Instructions

Measure all dry ingredients, and place in a large measuring cup.  Pour the mixtureMIXING BOWLS free images through a sifter into a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, beat egg until smooth.  Add oil.  Add milk.  Stir together until well blended.

Add liquid ingredients to the flour mixture, by pouring the liquid slowly over the flour to form a smooth batter.  Use a mixing spoon to blend the batter.  By adding the liquid slowly you can judge the thickness of the batter. If the batter is too stiff, add more liquid.

When your batter is ready, add oil into a skillet.  When heated, slowly pour the pancake batter into the skillet.  I recommend cast iron because it heats up fast.  Be sure you add enough oil, so that the batter doesn’t stick. Use a low-medium setting.

Toppings

Use your favorite topping.  Suggestions: jams, jellies, maple syrup, sugar, xylitol, stevia, honey, cinnamon, or plain.

Cooking Utensils

A six-inch skillet produces a round pancake. If your skillet is cast iron, the pancake will cook in 3 to 4 minutes over a low-medium light.

Larger skillets will produce uneven pancakes, unless you use pancake rings.

Pancake Rings: If you want to have perfectly round pancakes, use either silicone, or stainless steel pancake rings. Amazon sells them.

Irene Portrait Paint BlackIrene Pastore is a native New Yorker,  health and fitness blogger, and personal trainer.   Irene owns this website, and writes all the blog posts.  For her complete bio, visit the About Page.

Copyright 2016 Irene Pastore and Tour De Core.com

National Oatmeal Day

No joke.  I thought I was hearing things when I heard someone mention this. So I looked it up online, and there really is a National Oatmeal Day. It’s today, Thursday, October 29.

ONE MILLION BOWLS OF OATMEAL GIVEAWAY

National Oatmeal Day is promoted by Quaker Oats, the 140 year-old American company located in Chicago, Illinois.  To celebrate the day, they’ll be giving away up to one million bowls of oatmeal throughout the country.

Aside from corporate brands, you can get oatmeal from your local health food market either packaged or bulk.  A natural, packaged brand is Bob’s Red Mill.  If you live near a Whole Foods Market, you can find oatmeal in the bulk section.

HOW TO USE OATMEAL

Oatmeal is used to make, pancakes, breads, cereals, cookies, cakes, breakfast squares, and smoothies.

Oatmeal is compatible with cinnamon, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, oranges, apples, coconut, raisins, dates, maple syrup, honey, agave, cashews, almonds, peanuts, pecans, walnuts, nut milks, whip cream, and whipped vegan cream.

Copyright 2015 Irene Pastore and Tour De Core Personal Training.

 

 

 

 

 

Sugar Free Cookies

Susan’s Sugar Free Cookies is an American product, made by St. Armour, Inc.

Made without dairy, Susan’s Sugar Free Cookies, come in several flavors.: Almond, Ginger, Peanut, Chocolate, and Orange.  They’re good for diabetics, vegans, and anyone who wants to avoid cane sugar, and animal products.

The cookies have a crunchy, sweet taste because they’re made with malted barley flour, and malitol, a natural sugar substitute, similar to xylitol.

Buy them at Whole Foods Market, Amazon, or order directly from the manufacturer, Susan’s Sugar Free Cookies.

RELATED POSTS

Defining Sugar: Added, Natural, and Artificial

Xylitol: A Healthy Sugar Substitute

Copyright 2015 Irene Pastore and Tour De Core Personal Training

5 Quick Meat Substitutes

Boca Burgers

Grill these heart-healthy burgers, instead of burgers made from meat.  Boca Burgers come in several flavors, and are made from soy, veggies, cheeses and seasonings.  Protein: 14 grams per serving (one burger).

Light Life Tofu Pups

The original vegetarian hot dog made from soy.  They cook faster than meat-based hot dogs, and contain no cholesterol or nitrates.  Protein: 7 grams per serving (one hot dog).

Tufurky Vegan Deli Slices

Lunch meat sandwich alternative to meat. Available in Roast Beef, Peppered, Oven Roasted, Hickory Smoked, Bologna Style, and Italian.  Protein: 13 grams per serving (5 slices).

MorningStar Farms Veggie Bacon Strips

Smoky flavored strips that tastes just like bacon.  Sautée to a crisp texture, and add to sandwiches or have them with your breakfast meal.  Protein: 2 grams per serving (2 strips).

Trader Joe’s Chickenless Mandarin Orange Morsels

Asian inspired entrée made from soy, wheat, grains and veggies. Serve it with rice or noodles and your favorite green veggie.  Protein: 16 grams per serving (10 pieces).

Copyright 2013 Irene Pastore and Blue Moon Personal Training

Spinach

Spinach leaves can be steamed, sauteed, juiced, or consumed raw.

Spinach is a nutritional powerhouse, rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

One cup of chopped, raw spinach is only 14 calories.

In cooking, spinach is versatile and lends itself well to raw, steamed, and sautéed recipes.  Juicing spinach leaves is another quick, and healthy option for consuming this vitamin-rich superfood.

Spinach makes a fast and delicious meal combined with nuts, seeds, mushrooms, lentils, tofu, fish, chicken, grated cheese, or legumes.  Added spices such as garlic, and curry provide zest to a spinach side or main dish.

Nutrients In Spinach

Phytonutrients:  Spinach contains the carotenoids, beta carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.  It also contains flavonoids (antioxidants).

Vitamins: C, E, Beta-carotene, K, B1, B2, B6.

Minerals: Manganese, Zinc, Selenium, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Potassium, Folic Acid, Copper, Niacin, Phosphorus

Fatty Acids: Omega 3

Fiber

Protein

Benefits of Eating Spinach

  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Anti-cancer
  • Decreased risk of prostate cancer
  • Lowers risk of health problems related to oxidative stress, such as atherosclerosis, and high blood pressure.
  • Prevents macular degeneration.
  • Bone health
  • Supports heart and digestive health. 

Spinach Varieties

  • Savoy: dark green, crisp, curly leaves, springy texture.  
  • Semi-Savoy: similar texture to savoy, but not as crinkled.
  • Flat Smooth-Leaf: flat, unwrinkled, spade-shaped leaves.  

Preparation Suggestions

  • Raw Spinach Avocado Salad 
  • Steamed Spinach with Lentils and Walnuts 
  • Fresh Carrot-Apple-Spinach Juice
  • Sautéed Spinach with Mushrooms and Steamed Sweet Potatoes

For spinach recipes visit allrecipes.com, and food.com. For juicing recipes go to omegajuicers.com.

Copyright 2013 Irene Pastore and Blue Moon Personal Training