Veggie, Bean, and Quinoa Croquette

Let's say I have had a "Change of Heart".....literally.  20lbs lighter with a reduction of red meat and daily regimen of fish oil and lecithin, I was feeling very confident at my latest doctor appointment.  Little did I know, that I was a ticking time bomb.  The call from the nurse was alarming, my cholesterol was over 450 points.  WHAT? How could this be???  Wasn't I doing everything right?  I then remembered that my dad just had a pace maker installed.  I know some people say it could be "genes", but I wasn't willing to take that for an answer.

I Googled everything I could on lowering cholesterol naturally.  Friends pointed me to the movie, Knifes Over Forks.  I highly recommend it!!  I then remembered how thin I was in school.  What was I doing then?  VEGGIES! I was a huge vegetable eater.  Time to go back to what worked.

But, wait!  I live in Texas. We don't even recognize the word Vegan or Vegetarian.  What would my husband think?  I was getting nervous again.  I then found a website the Happy Herbivore and received a lot of encouragement from friends.  If I could just cut out meat 3 days a week and stop my dairy/alcohol consumption....what would that do for my heart?

So hear we are....Day 1 with encouragement from my husband to participate.  In 3 weeks, I am meeting with my doctor again for a new round of blood work. I have 21 days to see if I can make enough lifestyle changes to prove myself right or wrong.

Tips I learned making Veggie, Bean and Quinoa Croquettes:

• Prep all you can on Sunday or Saturday for the week. This will save you time and keep you on track with your new diet.
• Eating healthier is CHEAPER!  Fresh/raw foods are less expensive that pre-packaged, processed foods.
• Start little and work your way up.  If you can't cut meat out 3 days a week, start with 1 day a week.  Anything is better than nothing!
• Journal, journal, journal!  How do you feel when you wake up, do you have energy after work, have the headaches and body aches gone away, are you more regular.  Journaling helps you remember the changes!
• I found quinoa and wheat gluten at my local Target.  (You want to use the gluten, it basically glues the meatballs together.)
• I use minced garlic in a jar.  It saves me time and my hands no longer smell like garlic for days.
• I added a pinch of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to turn the volume up!
• Cook your quinoa before starting the recipe. Save left overs for later in the week. 1 cup of quinoa goes a LONG way!

Recipe for Veggie, Bean, and Quinoa Croquette (All credit to the Healthy Herbivore)

15oz can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 small onion, minced

1 medium zucchini, minced

1 large carrot, peeled and minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup of quinoa, cooked

2 tbsp of low sodium soy sauce

1tbsp of yellow mustard

1 tbsp of Italian seasoning

1/2 cup of whole wheat gluten

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet.  In a large bowl, mash kidney beans.  Combine rest of ingredients.  Using your hands, mold mixture into balls.  Place balls on cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until brown.  Set aside to cool and firm for 10-15 minutes. Freeze any extras for later in the week.  (I am using mine tomorrow for whole wheat pasta and marinara!)

Oatmeal Banana Nut Bread

I will admit, I am not a baker by heart. The measurements are too exact for me.  In the end, my kitchen looks like a science experiment gone wrong.  But, we had a bunch of bananas that ripened too fast. Heaven forbid, I let them go to waste.

This recipe is extremely easy. You can double it without worry.  The little loaves would make perfect get well, Christmas, Church function gifts.  The sky is the limit.

Tips I learned while baking Oatmeal Banana Nut Bread:

• Use the disposable tin loaf pans when giving gifts. You don't have to worry about getting them back!
• Spray your pans with non-stick spray well. This will allow easy removal.
• Once the bread is done, do not cover it until cooled. This will prevent your loaf from getting soggy on top.
• If you love to bake, invest in a good mixer. This will make your life much easier.  Cuisinart's are expensive, but well worth it. My mom's mixer is over 30 years old. 
• Check your bread after 40 minutes. This will prevent over baking.
• I added cinnamon as a nice little twist.

Recipe for Oatmeal Banana Nut Bread (All credit to All Recipes kel7928)

Ingredients (Makes 1 1/2 loaves)

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the banana and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Beat into creamed mixture. Stir in oats and nuts. Pour into prepared pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.