Baked Potato with Mushrooms and Beans.

Growing up, baked potato was one of the comfort food that I've enjoyed . Who does not love perfectly baked potato shells filled with yummy buttery cheesy mash. Growing up, I remember my mom preparing them often. Her baked potatoes were loaded with butter, cheese and sausages. The version that I have created in this recipe, is absolutely guilt free, it is kids- friendly, vegetarian , could be tweaked to a vegan version and it is loaded with plant based protein. The source of protein I've used here was mashed pinto beans . If your kids are not into beans then this is the perfect way to sneak beans into their diet.
This Recipe is very versatile. You could add whatever you like into the baked potatoes shells, broccoli and cheese or black beans and salsa. Also this recipe is very easy to prepare, you can actually prepare it ahead of time and store it in the freezer or fridge .
This dish could be served as a main dish with a side of green salad or soup. Bon appetite !!

Ingredient:

For the potato mash:

• 8 Russets potato.
• 1/4 cup EVOO ( extra virgin olive oil).
• 1/2 cup 0% fat Greek yogurt. For my vegan friends you could replace yogurt for silkened tofu.
• 1/3 cup Organic soy milk or almond milk
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese or vegan cheese.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

For the Mushrooms and beans Saute:

• A small package of Mushroom ( White or Cremini ).
• one Medium onion, finely minced.
• 3 garlics crushed 
• 1/2 a can of fat free refried beans ( I use Trader Joes canned fat free refried beans ) or you can use any other kind of bean.
• 3/4 cup Frozen corn or fresh corn.
• Salt and pepper.

Direction:

Preheat the oven to 425 , bake the potatoes for 1 hour. Once the potatoes are baked, take them out and reduce the oven temperature to 400.

Cut each potato in half and scoop out the flesh , be gentle not to tear the potato's skin, as you are going to use them as a shell for your potato mash.

In a big bowl, place the potatoes flesh, add to it the EVOO, Greek yogurt, organic soy milk and the Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste . Mash the mixture with a potatoes masher , until everything is well incorporated. At this point you can taste your potato mash and adjust seasoning.

In a pan, saute the Onion until gold and transparent, then add the garlic, saute for 1 minute then add your mushrooms. Continue to saute for about 8 minutes until mushrooms are wilted. At this point add your beans and corn. Add salt and plenty of pepper and cook for another 8 minutes .

Add the mushroom and beans mixture to your mashed potatoes and gently mix them together . 

Arrange potatoes shells on a baking pan , sprinkle some salts and pepper on them then fill them with the mashed potatoes mixture.

Sprinkle some more Parmesan or vegan cheese on top of each potato and then bake them for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Mediterranean Diet Health Benefits

If you ask me , why the Mediterranean diet ? What's the buzz about it ? What makes it unique among the other diets. I would tell you that the food groups of this diet are WHOLE , NUTRIENTS RICH, FLAVORFUL and IT PROTECTS YOUR BODY. 

Lets talk again about the components of the Mediterranean diet and I have listed the elements of this diet in the following order:

1. Fresh Vegetables and Fruits , the more the colors the more the health benefits. Veg and Fruits are full of vitamins, minerals, fibers, complex carbohydrates and antioxidants.

2. Whole grains , my favorite is Quinoa, brown rice, brown couscous , whole wheat flour and millet. Whole grains are full of fibers and have low glycemic index ( means they won't raise your blood sugar fast ) . The problem with now a days main stream industrial food that they are refined and processed , food like white rice and pasta, chips and crackers makes its way to our daily lunch box. The problem with WHITE carbohydrate , is that they are Simple carbs, has a high glycemic index therefore they would spike your blood sugar and insulin at the same time. Over time this phenomena would lead to insulin resistance and the development of Type 2 Diabetes mallets .

3. Plant based protein . Don't ever doubt the health benefit of it. growing up we've been used to the concept that we must get out protein by eating animals flesh ( Chicken , red meats, etc ) Make no mistake plant based protein would provide you with the same amount of  protein but in a healthy fat free form. Animals protein are full of saturated fat (LDL), the BAD fat that would clog your arteries . Have you ever wondered why your neighbor Bob who ate eggs and bacon for breakfast, fried chicken wing for lunch and a stake for dinner developed a heart attack in his late 40es. Yes , it is Bob and unfortunately people like him who lack healthy lifestyle conscious would inevitably develop heart attack, Diabetes and stroke at some point in their life. Going back to plant based protein , sources like beans ( My favorite is chickpeas), lentils ( Red, green , black ), Organic non GMO Tofu and Tempeh are delicious and healthy. In this blog  I will provide you with a lot of recipes that will teach you how to cook plant based protein in a very flavorful way.

4. Olive Oil is the main source of fat in the Med Diet. It is rich with Mono Unsaturated fat AKA the heart healthy fat. The healthy fat in olive oil would lower the bad cholesterol LDL ( artery clogger) and would increase healthy fat HDL that protects against coronary artery disease. I personally use light olive oil for cooking and Extra virgin olive oil in salad dressing and generously drizzled over my hummus and other savory dip.

4. Nuts and seeds. You gotta eat the raw version in order to get the most health benefits out of it. Raw nuts like almond and walnut are nutritional powerhouses, packed with healthy fats, muscle-building protein, natural fiber, beneficial minerals such as copper and magnesium, and heart-healthy vitamins and antioxidants. When eaten in moderation, raw nuts will help you lose weight and promotes healthy heart. 

5. Seafood. The Med Diet recommends eating seafood twice a week. Healthy fish like Wild Alaskan Salmon, Sardines and black code are rich in Omega 3, a healthy,  heart protecting fat.

6. Eggs and Dairy. The Med Diet recommends no more that 4 eggs per week. Also it supports eating high quality low fat dairy like cheese and yogurt. Personally I only eat cheese once or twice a week as a treat. We as  family enjoy free range organic eggs in the weekends only. During weekday , we enjoy Warm oatmeal in the winter and cold muesli in the summer

7. Herbs and spices . The Med Diet strongly support the use of fresh or dried herbs,  spices, garlic and ginger to boost the flavors of your meals instead of salt.

To summarize this article, now a day food, that consists of manufactured, industrial, refined and processed food puts our body at a persistent pro inflammatory status. Chronic inflammation over time  will lead to the development of metabolic syndromes, like Obesity, Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. The metabolic syndromes are risk factors for heart attack, stroke and Cancer. Also chronic inflammation will lead to a multiple health problems and diseases like Depression, memory loss, Alzheimer, Parkinson's and chronic fatigue . Hmm now I wonder why I was always feeling tired before switching to the med diet. Now the Mediterranean diets is an anti inflammatory diet . It would heal and protect your body against heart attack, stroke and cancer.

My blog will help you to incorporate the Mediterranean diet in your daily meals. It is available, affordable and sustainable. 

Enjoy !!

What is the Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is a diet that has originated from countries bordering the Mediterranean sea. We are talking about all the holiday destination spots that you and I dream about visiting one day. France, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Jerusalem, Morocco and Lebanon.

If you like warm pita bread with a side of creamy savory Hummus drizzled with EVOO ( Extra virgin olive oil), Greek salad, lentil soup, falafel sandwich filled with tahini garlic sauce and fresh veggies then you've stumbled upon the right blog.

The Mediterranean diet mainly consist of the following food groups:

1. High consumption of fresh veggies, fresh fruits, raw nuts& seeds, beans, legumes , herbs and spices. This blog would focus mainly on this food group.

2.Replace bad fat ( Lard/Butter) which are made of saturated fat, the leading cause for heart attack and stroke with heart healthy fats like Extra virgin olive oil . EVOO is the primary source of fat in the Mediterranean diet. I will elaborate more about the health benefit of EVOO in my next post.

3. Moderate consumption of fish and seafood as they are high in Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acid has a cardiovascular protective property.

4. Moderate to low consumption of low fat dairy ( Cheese and Yogurt ).

5. Although the Mediterranean diet support moderate to low consumption of Poultry and lean red meat respectively , I personally don't incorporate those in my diet. My diet is mostly Vegan/Vegetarian with occasional seafood. In this blog you won't find any recipes for poultry or red meat.

About Me

Hi , thank you for stopping by. My name is Fajer, I am a medical doctor ( MD) with great interest in health promotion, healthy food and healthy life style. I am a wife and a mother of 2 adorable kids based in Massachusetts, USA.

I have decided to take some time off from my medical profession and spend time at home to take care of my children. I wanted to raise my kids all by my self, no nannies , no baby sitter. I am a firm believer that the job of being a mother is a great and a sacred one . We should honor our role and do it right, the way it meant to be.

Few years ago , around 2008, I felt very bad toward eating animals flesh especially red meat and poultry . The idea of converting to a vegetarian or vegan was evolving in my mind. I was an on-off vegetarian for years. When you have kids at home it becomes very difficult to adhere strictly to a vegetarian/ Vegan diet. However I became very determined over the years to stick to a healthy diet and I was able to separate the menu. I cooked 2 meals almost every day, one for the grown up and one for the kids.

On the beginning of 2013 , I came a cross an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine ( NEJM) emphasizing about the great health benefits of adapting a Mediterranean diet and how doing so would decrease the risk of developing heart diseases, hypertension and Diabetes. I was intrigued by this new buzz diet so I looked it up and I found that this diet is mainly based on plants food ( fresh vegetables , fresh fruits, beans, raw nuts , raw seed and olive oil ) and then something clicked, I have finally found the diet that suites my life style. Although this diet support the consumption of poultry and red meat, I personally don't consume them and you won't find any recipes  involving chicken or meat in this blog.

Occasionally I would eat fish or shrimps once a week . Seafood are high in Omega3 ( a known healthy fatty acid that would protect against heart attack and stroke) and the Mediterranean diet strongly support the consumption of seafood twice a week due to their great health benefits.

The recipes in this blog would please anybody , carnivorous, vegetarian, vegans, kids friendly and HUSBAND approved . I mean, who's  in the world does not love warm pita bread dipped in yummy creamy savory hummus.

Love and peace.