Food For Thought

If you have a vivid imagination like we do, you may see symbols everywhere. People would find odd connections and coincidences under their noses every day if they stopped to look and let their imagination wander. Just take the foods we eat every day for example.


Have you ever seen one of those Web articles devoted to images appearing in someone’s burnt toast? We’re betting you have. But could these odd sightings prove to be actually, er, insightful? We’re certainly not saying seeing Leonardo DiCaprio’s face on a cinnamon bun will mean you’ll be “flying” with Jack Dawson in the near future. However, we are suggesting that you stop for a moment as you go grocery shopping in the produce section and look at the foods with childlike wonder. Perhaps 16th century Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo was onto something when he painted his famous portraits of human faces made up of fruits and vegetables.


An Organ-ic Puzzle


Although there isn’t any scientific proof that foods and their health benefits correspond directly to the body parts that they look like, we sure love pointing out how much a walnut looks like a brain. Like a child with a keen eye for “I Spy,” here’s a list of nourishing foods that will have you singing a different tune—or at least substituting different lyrics—to “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.”


Joyful, Joyful


Blogger Krista Rollins of Joyful Healthy Eats loves making healthy recipes with a colorful palette of ingredients. The Wisconsin native now-Texan is a stay-at-home mom who enjoys cooking for her family.


Krista keeps fit by doing Jillian Michaels workouts, chasing her 2-year-old, Cason, and eating mindfully—“with the occasional ‘cheat day.’”


When asked if she were to see any celebrity face on a food who would it be and on what, Krista answered it would most likely be Bobby Flay on a dried chipotle pepper. “Not because he is all wrinkly but because that is what I think of when I think of Bobby Flay,” Krista says.


Try out Krista’s recipes, which incorporate some of the foods we’ve mentioned in this story. We promise these dishes will be a feast for the eyes and not at all resemble their body counterparts. Hallelujah! Appetites intact!

strawberry avocado spinach salad with honey mustard vinaigrette


Not only does this vibrant salad contain avocados—the crunchy apples, strawberries, almonds and spinach are your body’s superheroes when it comes to fighting inflammation. Serves 4-6



Honey Mustard Vinaigrette:




  • 2tablespoons mustard, gluten free (no sugar or wine added)


  • 2tablespoons raw honey


  • 4tablespoons white vinegar


  • 6tablespoons olive oil


  • Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:




  • 10ounces baby spinach


  • 2cups of strawberries, hulled and quartered (about a 16-ounce container)


  • 1cup Granny Smith apples, diced (about 1 large apple)


  • 1cup plain sliced almonds


  • 2avocados, diced


  • ¾cup sliced almonds

Whisk together mustard, honey, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add spinach to large salad bowl. Top with strawberries, diced apple, diced avocado and sliced almonds. Toss to mix everything together, and serve with honey mustard vinaigrette.

orange carrot ginger soup


Krista made this soup when she was so sick that she was practically tearing through tissue boxes. Full of vitamins and other nutrients, this meal is her best home remedy for the common cold and flu. Serves 8





  • 2tablespoons olive oil


  • 1large onion, diced


  • 2garlic cloves, minced


  • 3tablespoons fresh ginger, minced


  • 1russet potato, peeled and diced


  • 2pounds carrots, peeled and diced


  • 6cups low-sodium chicken broth


  • 1tablespoon orange zest


  • ½teaspoon salt


  • ¼teaspoon pepper

Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and diced onion. Sauté until onions are slightly caramelized, approximately 10 minutes. Add minced garlic cloves and minced fresh ginger, and sauté for 30 seconds. Add diced russet potato, diced carrots, low-sodium chicken broth, orange zest, salt and pepper. Cover, and simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Use a submersion blender to purée soup until it is a smooth consistency. (If you do not have a submersion blender, slowly ladle soup into a blender and blend soup in shifts.) Serve with crunchy bread!

cranberry orange muffins


Cranberry and citrus muffins are great for breakfast, a hearty snack or sweet dessert. The coconut oil also makes these muffins super moist. Makes 12 muffins





  • 2cups flour


  • ½cup sugar


  • 1teaspoon baking powder


  • ½teaspoon baking soda


  • ½teaspoon salt


  • 1cup cranberries


  • 1egg


  • ¾cup orange juice


  • ¼cup melted coconut oil


  • 1teaspoon grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in cranberries. In a small bowl, beat egg, orange juice, melted coconut oil and grated orange zest. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients; stir to combine until it is just moistened. Grease muffin tin and spoon mixture into tin until three quarters full. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned. Remove, and serve!

grilled sweet potatoes with chipotle honey lime butter


Krista says her son, Cason, loves sweet potatoes. “It was one of the first vegetables we gave him,” she blogs. This recipe is perfect when you want to roll out the grill. Go ahead and slather these with the accompanying chipotle honey lime butter for a savory treat. Serves 4-6



Chipotle Honey Lime Butter:




  • 1stick unsalted butter, softened


  • 1small chipotle pepper from La Costeña brand of chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, minced


  • ½tablespoon honey


  • ½teaspoon salt


  • Zest from 1 lime


  • Juice from ½ lime

Add chipotle peppers, lime zest, lime juice, honey and salt to one stick of unsalted butter. Mix together until all ingredients are combined. Place ball of butter on a square of plastic wrap. Roll the plastic wrap completely around the butter and form into a cylinder shape. Place in refrigerator.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes:




  • 3large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices


  • 3tablespoons olive oil


  • Salt


  • Chipotle honey lime butter


  • 2tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Peel sweet potatoes and cut them into quarter-inch slices. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Generously season sweet potatoes with olive oil and salt. Place sweet potatoes on oiled grill. (Krista uses olive oil.) Grill on each side for 4 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness. Generously brush top of sweet potatoes with chipotle honey lime butter while still on grill. Remove from grill and finish off with freshly chopped cilantro.


For more recipes and tips, visit Krista at joyfulhealthyeats.com.

Posted in Marion Features

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