Roasted Eggplant , Red Pepper and Tomato Confit
YIELD Never Enough (about 3 cups)
ACTIVE TIME 30 min
TOTAL TIME 1 1/2 hr
INGREDIENTS
2 red bell peppers (yellow or orange work too)
1 (1 1/2-lb) eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
2 lbs tomatoes peeled and chopped or 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
PREPARATION
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut peppers into 1-inch pieces. Toss together all ingredients in a large roasting pan, then spread evenly. Roast, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, about 1 hour. Cool before serving.
Cooks' note:
Confit can be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature and stir before serving.
Serve with greek pita or flatbread. The eggplant smokiness makes it meaty so it can support a red wine.
Like a good warm up you can take this into a main course by putting it over pasta or zoodles. Top with some feta cheese.
Main Dish
From Suzanne Frank
1 pound ground beef**
1 12 oz can tomato sauce
1 can sliced black olives
1/4 cup taco seasoning
2-3 cups grated cheese
6 tortilla flour shells
Brown beef, then add taco seasoning and black olives.
In a deep dish pie plate place one tortilla and add 1/5th of taco meat. Then spread meat across tortilla shell and sprinkle with some of the grated cheese. Continue to layer ending with a tortilla shell. Sprinkle the top of the tortilla shell with the remaining grated cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (if you're making this dish ahead of time and baking later, bake for 20-25 minutes)
**You can substitute ground chicken, ground turkey meat or re-fried beans in place of the ground beef
Cut into 6 pie slices or if you are really hungry slice into 4 slices.
Meeting your Needs Inside and Out
by Coach Oden
I know this last week has been physically challenging for you. It has for me as well. One hundred fifty squats a day isn't easy, especially coming off of a week of potentially no exercise because of the smoke. Thankfully that has cleared and we were able to get back at it. As well as the physical challenges, mentally it has been challenging. With all the stressors that COVID has brought about - whether people are wearing a mask or not wearing a mask, who we can and cannot socialize with, compounding with just our everyday lives - it has challenged us to connect in more creative ways. For me, that is what this is about... connection. Getting things done as a team and helping each other.
Thinking about that, as a team we have put together this menu to help you feel healthy inside and outside.
DHARMA’S KALE SALAD Kale is an incredible beauty superfood. It’s packed with phytochemicals, fiber and chlorophyll, a major blood builder. The cleaner the blood the more beautiful we are. This incredible salad provides a substantial mix of protein-building amino acids, enzymes, minerals (including important ones found in sea vegetables), and antioxidants. RECIPE (MAKES 1-2 SERVINGS) Ingredients: ● 1 head lacinato kale ● Pinch of sea salt ● 1 small avocado ● 3 Tbs. nutritional yeast ● Cayenne pepper, to taste ● 2 handful sprouts, any kind ● 1 tomato, cubed ● Juice of a lemon ● 1-2 Tbs. dulse flakes (totally optional) ● Handful of dill, parsley or cilantro, or combination (optional) Directions: 1. Tear the kale leaves off the stem and place into a mixing bowl. 2. Add a pinch of sea salt, and tear into bite-sized pieces. 3. Core and scrape out the avocado flesh into the bowl. 4. Massage the kale with the avocado and lemon juice. 5. Mix in the nutritional yeast and cayenne pepper. 6. Mix in the sprouts, tomato and dulse flakes, herbs of choice and add a little more sea salt, if desired.
Lassie, Go Get Help!
by Coach Anita
by Coach AnitaWhat would you do if you fell into a pit? You’d look for a way to climb out. You’d determine what tools were at your disposal and set about getting yourself above ground. If your name is Timmie, you’d hope your dog Lassie was on her way for help.
The same thing applies when the pit you fall into isn’t a physical one, but a mental or emotional pit. With the myriad stresses in our lives today, it’s very common for our moods to resemble a roller coaster. Up one day then a precipitous drop the next. When we’ve sunk into a pit, it’s important to take stock of the tools at our disposal to get out (and yes, dogs can be helpful).
Exercise is usually the first thing I suggest for addressing emotional downswings, but during the time of this writing we’ve got hazardous air quality, so I urge caution about exertion. Even a simple weight workout where I’ve kept my heart rate to moderate has taxed me more than I initially realized. Please wait until the air quality is appropriate for exertion before you resume your regular workouts.
Staying connected to people helps us from feeling like our world is closing in on us. Whether it’s a group workout or a weekly touch base with friends or family via Zoom, connecting with others can help clear away a heavy feeling - even if you don’t talk about the heaviness. TeamFitness has a weekly Zoom call where we talk about this newsletter, and more than once I’ve entered that Zoom call feeling a little low and left feeling lighter because of the interaction with others. Our connections to friends and family are crucial tools for climbing back above ground.
Self-reflection through journaling can help us identify what we’re feeling, as well as steps to feeling better. I find that focusing on what I want to feel - appreciation, joy, passion - helps me identify thoughts that lead me there. If I’m extremely low, I may not get all the way to passion, but getting to appreciation feels better, which is the idea and a step along the path.
Animal lovers know the joy pets bring to our lives. There have been many studies showing that pets have emotional and physical benefits to people. Spending time with your pet - stroking their fur, throwing a toy, or cuddling up with them - can reduce your blood pressure and release endorphins for a calming and soothing effect. Even when you aren’t interested in much, a pet’s basic needs of food, shelter and love can help bring you outside of your fog. Can you really resist that little face?
Step by step is how we get by in life. Whether it’s learning a new behavior or tackling a challenge. Breaking things down to bite size pieces will help you through the marathon. Know the tools at your disposal and remember that teamwork helps us through every finish line.
DESSERT
No-Bake Brownies (vegan, gluten-free)
1 cup raw walnuts
1.5 cups raw almonds
2.5 cups medjool dates, pitted
¾ cup cocoa powder
1-2 tsp ground espresso or coffee
Pinch sea salt
In a food processor, pulse walnuts, almonds, cocoa, espresso and salt until texture is a fine crumble. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Add dates to food processor and process until in small pieces. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Return nut mix to food processor. With processor running, add drops of dates through food chute until all is combined and is sticky. If mixture is too dry, cut up more dates into pieces and add until sticky.
Line a loaf or cake pan with parchment. Pat mixture into pan until flat. Place pan in freezer or refrigerator to chill before cutting and serving.
Makes approx. 20 2”x2” brownies (approx. 120 calories each)
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