New Recipes

Hey Everyone! I can't believe fall is here. This is my favorite time of year. All things pumpkin, football season and comfy sweaters. I'm just waiting for the weather to catch up. Sorry for the hiatus I just been decompressing from the transplant games and working on getting my cookbook published. I have posted some new recipes on my website Chef with a Heart under the recipe section. Now with the fall and holidays coming up I will be posting more recipes so be on the look out. Happy Fall Everyone!

Food for Thought

Hey Everyone!

I came across this very interesting article about a Vegan Cardiologist named Dr. Kim A. Williams. Dr. Williams said that his switch to veganism was prompted by a routine blood test about 10 years ago. If you get a chance check it out.

Advice from a Vegan Cardiologist

National Minority Donor Awareness Week

 

National Minority Donor Awareness Week, celebrated annually on August 1-7, is a nationwide observance to honor the generosity of multicultural donors and their families, while also underscoring the critical need for people from diverse communities to register their decision to Donate Life as organ, eye and tissue donors. It is a time to promote healthful living and disease prevention to decrease the need for transplantation. For more information about National Minority Donor Awareness Week and how to become an organ donor please visit: Donate Life America

Be a Hero - Be a Donor

 

Transplant Games Results

After a year of training and preparing for the Games I can proudly say I completed my first Transplant Games of America. I participated in the 5K, Track & Field and Co-ed Basketball. I won my first 2 medals. A Silver medal in Discus and a Bronze medal in Shot Put. The Transplant Games was an emotional event as it is about more then the competition. I met some awesome people and was inspired by their stories. The best part was honoring our donors through out the weekend. This journey has been a life changing for me and I feel so blessed to be able to participant in something like this. It was truly an amazing event and I can't wait for Cleveland in 2016! Thank you to all my family and friends for the support. Go Team Texas!

 

Be a Hero... Donate Life!

Looking for Support....

Hey Everyone!

If you are looking for a good cause to support this is one of them!! Cressandra Thibodeaux is a very talented filmmaker who has been following Team Texas for approximately 6 weeks to document the story of 5 recipients as they compete in the Transplant Games of America which were just held here in Houston. I happen to be one of those lucky recipients. This film has the potential to impact many lives through raising awareness of organ and tissue donation. Any support will be greatly appreciated by the lives you save!! Thank you.

Transplant Games a Documentary

 

 

 

9 days until the Games....

Hey Everyone!

I can't believe the Transplant Games of America are 9 days away. Time is going by so fast. As I have mention before TMC Pulse Magazine did a spread on Team Texas and the Transplant Games. Well today the issue hit stands. It is a beautiful article and I am honored to be a part of it. If you are in the Houston area stop by the medical center and pick up a copy. If your not in the city of Houston click on the link to see the digital version of the magazine. https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/339692/17

I will continue to share my journey to the Transplant Games as we are a little over a week away. This journey has truly been an amazing experience and has given me so many opportunities.  I am so grateful.

 

Go Team Texas!

TMC Pulse Magazine

Hello Everyone!
 
We are 24 days until the Transplant Games!! I can't believe after all these months of preparing it's almost here. As I mentioned before we had a photo shoot for TMC Pulse Magazine. The magazine can be found in waiting rooms and hallways across the Texas Medical Center. The July issue will feature Team Texas and the Transplant Games of America. I was actually choose for one of the individual profiles in the feature which is super exciting! More information to follow but here are some behind the scene photos from the shoot.

 

 

31 Days and Counting....

Hey Everyone!

Here are some of the pictures Team Texas took around the city to promote the Transplant Games of America. It was an awesome day! This weekend we have another opportunity for a photo shoot. The photo shoot is for TMC Pulse which is the magazine of the Texas Medical Center. I'm excited to see and meet more of my teammates. This has been an amazing experience preparing for these Games and I can't wait to see what the next 30 days holds.

Go Team Texas!

Go Team Texas!

Hey Everyone! I'm sorry for the hiatus but I been very busy training. I am competing in the Transplant Games of America this July in Houston, Texas.

The Transplant Games of America is a multi-sport festival event for individuals who have undergone life-saving transplant surgeries. Competition events are open to living donors, organ transplant recipients, bone marrow recipients, and a limited number of corneal and tissue transplant recipients. More than an athletic event, the Transplant Games of America highlight the critical importance of organ, eye, and tissue donation, while celebrating the lives of organ donors and recipients.

For more information you can visit their site at www.transplantgamesofamerica.org

Yesterday I had the pleasure of going around the city of Houston and taking pictures at the different venues the Games will be held. It was such a nice wonderful experience to meet some of my teammates and some of the sponsors. Since there are 42 days to go I will be sharing my experience and posting some new recipes. 

Hope everyone has a great day!  Go Team Texas!!!

 

 

National Go Red Day

Hey Everyone! February is more than Valentine’s Day; it’s also American Heart Month. National Go Red Day is on Friday February 7th, 2014. Help celebrate their 10th anniversary and show your support by wearing something red.

For more information visit: Go Red for Women

Happy Heart Month! <3

 

Cooking Class

Valentine's Romantic Dinner for Two

Skip the crowded restaurants on Valentine’s Day and share a home-cooked meal with your loved one. Our menu rivals those of the finest restaurants yet it’s totally do-able at home.

 

 

Menu:

Cocktail Mixer

Antipasto Platter

Shaved Zucchini Salad

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Chocolate Brownie Cake

 

Time & Date:

February 8th, 2014 at 12pm

Location:

Williams Sonoma

Baybrook Mall Dr, Friendswood, TX 77546

 

Call the store for pricing, questions or to sign up for the class

 at (281) 480-1705.

Happy New Year!

Hello Everyone... Happy 2014! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and is enjoying the New Year. I must apologize for not posting in a while; things have been a bit busy. Later on this year I will be participating in the Transplant Games of America which is taking a lot of my time as I prepare for that. I'm also in talks of maybe teaching some cooking classes at Williams Sonoma.  2014 has started out to be an amazing year and it’s only going to get better. So stay tune for more updates and new recipes to come…  ;-)

Happiness & Joy Cookies

Hey Everyone! How is your December going? During the holiday season a lot of people have a cookie exchange which is the most amazing idea. You get to try a ton of different cookies; who wouldn’t love that?? Well here is cookie bar that I think everyone would like. Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

2/3 cup Sugar

1/3 cup Butter (unsalted, softened)

1/3 cup Canola Oil

1 large Egg

1 tbsp Milk

1 tsp Almond Extract

1 cup all-purpose Flour

2/3 cup whole-wheat Flour

1 ½ tsp Baking Powder

3 tbsp Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips (melted)

3 tbsp Coconut (toasted)

½ cup Almonds (sliced)

 Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2) Beat sugar, butter, oil, egg, milk and almond extract in a mixer until light and fluffy.

3) Stir in all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour and baking powder until well blended. (The dough will be soft.) Spread the dough into the prepared baking pan in a thin layer.

4) Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Cut into 48 bars.

5) Decorate each bar with a drizzle of melted chocolate, a sprinkle of toasted coconut and an almond slice.

 

 

 

 

Dark Chocolate Strawberries

Hey Everyone! I hope everyone had a safe and fun Thanksgiving. Now it’s time to prepare for a new set of holidays. In the month of December I will post different recipes and tips for cookie exchanges, dishes to take to your holiday parties and ideas for Christmas morning and dinner. I will put a twist on some of your holiday favorites and give you some new ideas.

Ingredients:

6 ounces Semisweet Chocolate, (chopped)

1 pound Strawberries with stem, (washed & dried)

 

Directions:

1)      Put the semisweet heatproof medium bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat; set the bowls of chocolate over the water to melt. Stir until smooth. **

2)      Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, remove from the heat. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the fruit into the dark chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Set strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries.

3)      Set the strawberries aside until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

4)      Enjoy!

**Alternatively, melt the chocolates in a microwave at half power, for 1 minute, stir and then heat for another minute or until melted.**

Pumpkin Custard

Hi Everyone! Are you ready for Thanksgiving? Well lets talk about my guilty pleasure of the holidays... Dessert! As I have mention many times I have a sweet tooth which isn't the healthiest thing to have. If you like Pumpkin Pie then this recipe is the same texture and flavor without the crust.  This recipe is a great healthy alternative for your average Thanksgiving dessert.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup Pumpkin Puree

1 tsp Cinnamon

¼ tsp Ground Ginger

2 pinches Nutmeg

2 Eggs

½ cup Agave Nectar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 cup Coconut Milk (canned, full fat)

Directions:

1)   Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2)   Combine pumpkin and all spices in one bowl.

3)   In a smaller bowl, beat the eggs lightly then whisk in the agave nectar, vanilla and coconut milk.

4)   Whisk the egg mixture into the pumpkin mixture until well combined.

5)   Pour mixture in 8 small (¼ cup) ramekins or one medium ceramic baking dish.

6)   Place ramekins in roasting pan and add enough boiling water to the dish to come up 2” high around ramekin or baking dish.

7)   Carefully place in the oven and bake for 60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the custard comes out clean.

 

 

Cranberry Relish

Hello! I know cranberry sauce or relish isn't everyone's favorite but it is one of mine. I couldn't imagine my Thanksgiving plate without a little cranberry on it. I prefer homemade but I know stores sell canned cranberry jelly. It is easy to make cranberry sauce or relish at home. My favorite part is watching the cranberries burst in the pot. I guess that's the kid in me.  ;-)


 

Ingredients: 

1 pound fresh cranberries

1 ½ cups water

½ cup dried apricots, cut into quarters

3 tablespoons agave nectar

1/2 teaspoon ginger zest

1 teaspoon orange zest

 

Directions: 

1) Pick through the cranberries, discarding the soft and rotten ones, wash the rest

2) Place cranberries and water in pot, bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes

3) Add the apricots and simmer for five minutes

4) Add agave, orange and ginger zest and simmer five minutes.

5) Enjoy!

Green Bean Almondine

Hey Everyone! How is your November going? So what is Thanksgiving dinner without some vegetables? One of my favorite vegetables are green beans. Here is a simple recipe with green beans and almonds. You can make this recipe 10 minutes before dinner time. Just a reminder there are more Thanksgiving recipes on my website www.chefwithaheart.com. 

 

Ingredients:

1 lb green beans

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup chopped almonds

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp Black Pepper or to taste

 Directions:

1) Steam the green beans for about 5 minutes, or until they turn bright green and are just barely tender.  If you don’t have a steamer, you can also boil them.

2) While the green beans are cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the almonds and cook them, stirring frequently, until you can smell the nuts toasting. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more, stirring constantly.

3) When the green beans are done cooking, put them into the skillet with the almonds and stir until they are coated.  Sprinkle with pepper.

4) Enjoy!

Roasted Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

2 small Acorn Squash

2 tbsp Butter (unsalted, melted)
2 tbsp Light Agave Nectar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Ground Cloves

1/8 tsp Ground Cardamom

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half through the stem end and remove seeds. Cut each half into six wedges and place wedges on large baking sheet. 

2) In a small bowl, combine melted butter, agave, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.

3) Use a pastry brush to lightly brush squash pieces with the butter mixture, reserving about 1 tbsp for brushing on after cooking.

4) Roast the squash for 12 minutes in the oven. Use tongs to flip the squash pieces and continue to roast until they are nicely browned and tender, 10 to 12 minutes more. The bottom of the pieces will be browner than the tops. 

5) Enjoy!

Apple and Sage Stuffing

We are only a few weeks away from Thanksgiving; are you ready? Well here is a basic stuffing recipe to add to your Thanksgiving menu. I'm not very big on actually putting stuffing inside of a raw turkey so I always make it separate. When shopping for ingredients please read the sodium level on the chicken broth. Some labels that say low sodium aren't actually that low in sodium. There are brands out there that have chicken broth with 50 to 70 mg of sodium per cup. Also if you are vegetarian you could easily make this recipes and just use Vegetable broth. Just a reminder there are more thanksgiving recipes on www.chefwithaheart.com.  Enjoy Everyone! 



Ingredients:
1 cup Celery (chopped)
1 cup Sweet Yellow Onion (chopped)
1 medium Gala Apple (chopped)
1 cup Very Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 tbsp Sage (ground)
8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and finely chopped
Dash Black Pepper
12 slices Diet Whole Wheat Bread (toasted and cubed)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven at 350.
2) In a medium saucepan, cook celery, onion and apple in 1/3 cup broth, until tender. Remove from heat.
3) Stir in sage and pepper.
4) Place dry bread cubes in large mixing bowl and mix in onion mixture.
5) Drizzle with enough broth to moisten bread mixture and toss lightly. 
6) Transfer mixture to a spray a baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until stuffing is firm and golden brown.

Herb Roasted Turkey

The Thanksgiving countdown has begun. It is time to plan your menu, buy your ingredients and get your hands dirty. Thru out the month of November I will be post different Thanksgiving recipes on here and my website www.chefwithaheart.com. The recipes will be some of your favorites with a healthy low sodium twist. The first recipe is .... Turkey of course! Roasting the turkey with the herb mixture gives the turkey a lot of flavor. You can mix the butter with any of your favorite herb combination just remember if using fresh herbs are always best. Enjoy!





Ingredients: 

Herb Butter-
I cup of unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley 
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 clove garlic minced

Turkey-
1 whole turkey (about 12 - 14 pounds), thawed if frozen, rinsed and patted dry, neck reserved (set aside giblets for stuffing, if desired)
6 large carrots, halved crosswise
2 large onions, cut into 8 wedges
3 stalks celery, halved crosswise


Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the lowest position. Make herb butter: In a small bowl, mix together butter with chopped herbs, garlic and black pepper.

2) Start preparing the turkey by loosening the skin. Working from the neck end, slide fingers under skin until you reach the end of the breast, being careful not to tear the skin; rub herb butter under the skin. Place turkey breast side down. Fill neck cavity with 1/3 of vegetable mixture; avoid packing. Close up by folding skin over and fastening with skewers or trussing needles. Tuck wings: Turn turkey over; bend wing tips underneath bird so they stay in place (you may have to break the bones). Loosely fill large cavity with 1/3 of vegetable mixture. Tie legs: Using cotton kitchen twine, tie legs together securely (they will overlap) so bird retains its shape and moisture during cooking.

3) Cut neck into pieces; mix rest of vegetable mixture and 2 cups water in a large roasting pan. Set roasting rack over vegetables in pan.

4) Lift turkey onto rack and tent turkey loosely with foil. Roast 1 hour, then baste every 30 minutes with pan liquids, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 125 degrees, about 3 hours.

5) Remove foil; raise oven heat to 400 degrees. Continue roasting, basting occasionally, until thigh reaches 180 degrees, 45 to 60 minutes more. Tent with foil if bird browns too quickly; add more water if pan becomes dry. Transfer turkey to a serving platter; cover loosely with foil, and let it rest at least 30 minutes before carving.