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Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Cedar Planked Salmon
I grilled salmon on a cedar plank last night for the first time ever and all I can say is, WOW! Actually, I can say more than that. It was the best I've ever made and maybe even had. The only problem I ran into was that I didn't soak the plank long enough. The directions said soak for 2 hours, but I was being spontaneous on this one, and decided to just soak it for 1. Well, it caught on fire. But this was easily remedied with the spray bottle I had on hand and turning off the grill. I then transferred the salmon, still on the plank, to a 375 degree oven to finish for about 5-7 minutes. The plank can used on the grill or in the oven, so no harm done.
Cedar Planked Salmon
Start by soaking your Cedar plank as directed.
1.5 pound filet of Salmon
1/2 tsp of Maple Pepper or a mixture of sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and raw sugar.
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Mayonnaise
1 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp dried or fresh Dill Weed
Place salmon flesh side down in a small square dish and dust skin with Maple Pepper or other spice mixture.
Turn over and pour on Apple Cider Vinegar.
Spread on mustard and mayo, mixing and distributing evenly.
Top with Dill Weed.
Let sit covered in fridge until ready to cook.
Fire up the gas grill and preheat to 400 degrees. While the grill is preheating, place soaked (as directed) plank on the grill. When the temp hits 400, place salmon on the plank and turn the heat down to low. Let cook for 7-10 minutes, covered, but start checking it at 7 minutes. Remember that you can do this in the oven as well. For grilling, keep your spray bottle and tongs handy! When cooked to your liking, serve immediately, and enjoy the flavor that can only be imparted by cooking on a wood plank. This is such a great way to make a simple, healthy food taste gourmet!
Cedar Planked Salmon
Start by soaking your Cedar plank as directed.
1.5 pound filet of Salmon
1/2 tsp of Maple Pepper or a mixture of sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and raw sugar.
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Mayonnaise
1 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp dried or fresh Dill Weed
Place salmon flesh side down in a small square dish and dust skin with Maple Pepper or other spice mixture.
Turn over and pour on Apple Cider Vinegar.
Spread on mustard and mayo, mixing and distributing evenly.
Top with Dill Weed.
Let sit covered in fridge until ready to cook.
Fire up the gas grill and preheat to 400 degrees. While the grill is preheating, place soaked (as directed) plank on the grill. When the temp hits 400, place salmon on the plank and turn the heat down to low. Let cook for 7-10 minutes, covered, but start checking it at 7 minutes. Remember that you can do this in the oven as well. For grilling, keep your spray bottle and tongs handy! When cooked to your liking, serve immediately, and enjoy the flavor that can only be imparted by cooking on a wood plank. This is such a great way to make a simple, healthy food taste gourmet!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Light Healer: Clear YOUR Path Healing Workshop Saturday August 2...
Light Healer: Clear YOUR Path Healing Workshop Saturday August 2...: "In our Clear YOUR Path workshop, you will learn a new approach to help bring the body into its optimal state of being. We use all the tools ..."
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Prep Cook This!
Healthy cooking and eating is all about prepping and planning if you’re a BUSY mom like me. The first requirement, of course, is a commitment to optimal nutrition. Afterall, if you don’t really care about that, why would you be motivated to prep cook and plan your week in eating on Sunday?
For those of you who really get it or WANT to get it, this post is for you, born from my kitchen and my life!
Menu: Grilled Shrimp, Grilled Sugar Snap Peas, Caprese Tomato Slices and Old Grain Pilaf.
Old Grain Pilaf
¾ cup Millet, rinsed
¾ cup Quinoa, rinsed
½ cup Buckwheat, rinsed
1/3 cup Pumpkin Seeds
1/3 cup Raw, hulled Sunflower Seeds
½ cup Currants or Golden Raisins
4 Cups Water or Broth
2 Whole, Peeled Cloves Garlic
1 Large sprig of fresh Rosemary, gently squeezed to release aroma.
1 tsp EVOO per serving (reserve for plating)
½ Tsp Sea Salt
¼ Tsp White Pepper
Place all ingredients except EVOO in a large pot. Cover and heat to boiling, then reduce to simmer. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes and turn off heat. You can being doing plenty of other things during this time…Keep covered until ready to serve or until cool and ready to transfer to storage container for later use. Make this pilaf at the beginning of the week and you have your grain ready to go for dinners-- even lunches at work. If you have 1 hour on Sunday or Monday (like while your grains are cooking), prep the peas and make enough marinade to also throw onto some peeled and rinsed, wild caught shrimp from clean waters.
Wanna take these Old Grains straight into the New Age? Make the roasted beet and walnut mixture from my Luscious Beet Salad and stir 'em into your pilaf. You can even add goat or feta cheese. Heck, that's a balanced meal in and of itself!
Garlic Ghee Sauce
2 TBSP organic (preferably grass-fed) Ghee
Juice and zest of 1 organic lemon
1 tsp of dried or fresh chopped Thyme
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
In a small saucepan, melt Ghee and add remaining ingredients. Lightly simmer for about 3-5 minutes and remove from heat. Store for later use or use right away.
Grilled Sugar Snap Peas
Wash peas and place in an oblong storage container. Lightly add Sea Salt and White Pepper. Toss with balsamic vinegar. Add Lemon/Garlic/Ghee sauce and evenly distribute. Store until ready for grilling (24-72 hours).
To Grill: Line grill rack with foil. Set gas grill on medium heat or heat charcoal grill to about 300 degrees. Place peas on foil and spread out. Close lid, but check and stir regularly, removing when peas are soft and skin begins to blacken and pucker.
Grilled Shrimp
Peel and rinse 1-2 pounds of shrimp, depending on how many you’re feeding (1 pound should feed 3 people). Lightly add Sea Salt and White Pepper. Toss with lukewarm Garlic Ghee Sauce and store refrigerated for up to 24-48 hours in an airtight container.
To Grill: About 5 minutes before removing peas, place shrimp on an area of the grill, which you’ve also lined with foil. Close lid for 1 minute and then open and stir, flipping each shrimp. Continue to move shrimp around, and when they begin to turn a bright pink and become slightly more solid, remove.
Caprese Tomatoes
Recruit some do this one for you or do it yourself. It’s super easy (and SO nourishing), so I recommend delegating this one if you’ve done all of the other prepping!
2 Fresh, Organic Tomatoes (preferably straight out the garden!), sliced to medium thickness.
Mozzarella rectangles cut to fit atop each tomato slice.
Basil Leaves- 1 leaf to top each cheese rectangle.
Stack Mozzaralla, then basil leaves on top of individual tomato slices. Drizzle with EVOO and serve.
Healthy Flavor Tip: Just Drizzle the entire meal with 1-2 tsp of EVOO and call it BLISS!!
For those of you who really get it or WANT to get it, this post is for you, born from my kitchen and my life!
Menu: Grilled Shrimp, Grilled Sugar Snap Peas, Caprese Tomato Slices and Old Grain Pilaf.
Old Grain Pilaf
¾ cup Millet, rinsed
¾ cup Quinoa, rinsed
½ cup Buckwheat, rinsed
1/3 cup Pumpkin Seeds
1/3 cup Raw, hulled Sunflower Seeds
½ cup Currants or Golden Raisins
4 Cups Water or Broth
2 Whole, Peeled Cloves Garlic
1 Large sprig of fresh Rosemary, gently squeezed to release aroma.
1 tsp EVOO per serving (reserve for plating)
½ Tsp Sea Salt
¼ Tsp White Pepper
Place all ingredients except EVOO in a large pot. Cover and heat to boiling, then reduce to simmer. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes and turn off heat. You can being doing plenty of other things during this time…Keep covered until ready to serve or until cool and ready to transfer to storage container for later use. Make this pilaf at the beginning of the week and you have your grain ready to go for dinners-- even lunches at work. If you have 1 hour on Sunday or Monday (like while your grains are cooking), prep the peas and make enough marinade to also throw onto some peeled and rinsed, wild caught shrimp from clean waters.
Wanna take these Old Grains straight into the New Age? Make the roasted beet and walnut mixture from my Luscious Beet Salad and stir 'em into your pilaf. You can even add goat or feta cheese. Heck, that's a balanced meal in and of itself!
Garlic Ghee Sauce
2 TBSP organic (preferably grass-fed) Ghee
Juice and zest of 1 organic lemon
1 tsp of dried or fresh chopped Thyme
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
In a small saucepan, melt Ghee and add remaining ingredients. Lightly simmer for about 3-5 minutes and remove from heat. Store for later use or use right away.
Grilled Sugar Snap Peas
Wash peas and place in an oblong storage container. Lightly add Sea Salt and White Pepper. Toss with balsamic vinegar. Add Lemon/Garlic/Ghee sauce and evenly distribute. Store until ready for grilling (24-72 hours).
To Grill: Line grill rack with foil. Set gas grill on medium heat or heat charcoal grill to about 300 degrees. Place peas on foil and spread out. Close lid, but check and stir regularly, removing when peas are soft and skin begins to blacken and pucker.
Grilled Shrimp
Peel and rinse 1-2 pounds of shrimp, depending on how many you’re feeding (1 pound should feed 3 people). Lightly add Sea Salt and White Pepper. Toss with lukewarm Garlic Ghee Sauce and store refrigerated for up to 24-48 hours in an airtight container.
To Grill: About 5 minutes before removing peas, place shrimp on an area of the grill, which you’ve also lined with foil. Close lid for 1 minute and then open and stir, flipping each shrimp. Continue to move shrimp around, and when they begin to turn a bright pink and become slightly more solid, remove.
Caprese Tomatoes
Recruit some do this one for you or do it yourself. It’s super easy (and SO nourishing), so I recommend delegating this one if you’ve done all of the other prepping!
2 Fresh, Organic Tomatoes (preferably straight out the garden!), sliced to medium thickness.
Mozzarella rectangles cut to fit atop each tomato slice.
Basil Leaves- 1 leaf to top each cheese rectangle.
Stack Mozzaralla, then basil leaves on top of individual tomato slices. Drizzle with EVOO and serve.
Healthy Flavor Tip: Just Drizzle the entire meal with 1-2 tsp of EVOO and call it BLISS!!
Phyto-Bliss Beet Salad
2 Large, Fresh Red Beets
½ to ¾ c walnut halves
2 cloves fresh minced garlic
½ to ¾ c goat cheese or feta
½ c balsamic vinegar
1TBSP maple syrup
1/8 cup melted organic (preferably grass-fed) Ghee
Sea Salt and freshly ground white or black pepper to taste
¼- ½ tsp chile powder
¼-1/2 tsp curry powder
Dash of cinnamon
1/8 cup EVOO1 ½ TBSP Italian Seasoning or fresh chopped herbs such as rosemary, thyme, lavender and oregano or 2 TBSP Pesto (see recipe in Benefitting From Basil or buy ready-made).
1 bag or large bowl of mixed salad greens
Instructions:
Combine herbs and olive oil if using fresh or dried herbs instead of Pesto. Let sit until use.
Cut fresh beets (include the tips!) into bite-sized pieces and place in a steamer over boiling water. Let steam at least 15 minutes or until easy to pierce with a fork. Place cooled beets in a glass bowl/dish.
Add balsamic vinegar, melted Ghee, walnut halves or pine nuts, garlic, salt, pepper, and spices. Mix well and let sit for at least 15 minutes (can be made 1-2 days ahead of cooking or frozen in portions for later use).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread beet mixture onto a 9x11 cookie sheet (line sheet with foil or wax paper for easier cleanup). Bake for 15 min or until mixture starts to crisp. Remove from oven and spoon olive oil and herb mixture onto beets and stir. Instead of the EVOO/herb mixture, you may also add 1-2 TBSP of pesto and stir throughout for added flavor and health benefits. Crumble goat cheese and toss into salad greens. Spoon beets onto salad greens and gently toss. Serve immediately and impress your family and friends.
I have to say that I adapted this recipe from a Giada De Laurentiis, Every Day Italian episode about 5 years ago. It has been evolving ever since, along with my knowledge about proper use of fats and my curiosity with herbs and spices. This salad has turned a lot of people on to beets who otherwise thought they hated them! Thanks to Giada, for teaching me that I love beets and for teaching me SO much about cooking!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Balanced Snacking
Countless people have tried diets that, when followed, do result in weight loss. The problem is, the diet is usually too restrictive to maintain for any extended period of time. Who wants to feel overly hungry and deprived all of the time? This is not fulfilled living. Eating should be inspiring and guilt-free. It's how we fuel our bodies so that we can fulfill our life's purpose, whatever that may be, without unnecessary health problems.
Weight loss is very much about keeping blood glucose/sugar levels steady throughout the day. Insulin plays a big role as well, since when blood glucose levels spike, the body produces insulin to bring it back down to normal. When the body is constantly having to pump out insulin to normalize blood sugar, say from sipping on sodas, sweet tea and juices all day, we've got a problem. This is because insulin causes the body to store fat. So, high insulin levels means lots of fat storage, especially in the belly area. Insulin also feeds tumor cells. Yikes! This means that we need to eat in a way that supports normal levels of insulin production.
Most of us typically run into other problems with blood sugar as well. When we skip meals or don't have balanced snacks between meals, blood sugar levels drop and we are suddenly very irritable (Some people get violent), we may get shakey, dizzy or get a headache, and we are ravenously hungry. We tend to be so hungry that even when we're full, we can't seem to stop eating. We're having an internal conversation that sounds like this:
"OK, I feel full, but this tastes so good. Just a little more. I'll stop after this. Oh, but I just want to keep eating! Oh man, did I seriously just finish these chips by myself? My meal hasn't even come yet! " Am I right or am I right?
Let me paint the physiological picture now: You're getting low blood sugars from skipping meals and snacks, which then makes you REALLY hungry. At dinner, you overeat, which sends your blood sugar soaring, which causes large amounts of insulin to be pumped out in response. Then perhaps we wake up full from our large dinner the night before and we skip breakfast. The craving cycle begins again.
With proper planning of meals and snacks, we can break this cycle. I like to focus clients and patients on having Balanced Snacks to avoid the craving cycle. I focus on snacks to do this because if they are balanced in protein, carbohydrate and fat, and taken mid-morning and mid-afternoon, they help us to achieve a goal that's commonly set but missed: cutting portions at meal time.
Now, let's take this a step further. In reality, we typically get all or more than we need at meal
times where carbohydrates are concerned. When we snack on breads, cookies, chips, cereal, etc, we're likely going over the amount of starches/carbs our bodies need each day (and at one time) for proper functioning. This means that these carbs are extra energy that will be stored as fat. Additionally, many of us are eating too many carbs at meal times because didn't eat a Balanced Snack 1-3 hours beforehand.
A first step to decreasing your overall carb intake from excessive to normal, is to commit to having only fruit or vegetables as your snack-time carb. You're having complex carbs instead of grains and starch here. Pair it up with 1 serving of protein and fat (nuts, cheese, milk, egg) to make it last and to keep your blood sugar from dipping in another 1-2 hours. By practicing Balanced Snacking, you will automatically eat less at your meal, cutting your carb intake again, without feeling deprived. Trying to lower your weight, cholesterol, blood pressure or control diabetes? If you practice Balanced Snacking, you can achieve all of these health goals and then some.
Not only are you cutting your carb intake with Balanced Snacking, you're increasing your fruit and veggie intake, which always makes us feel better and lose weight. Snacking this way is not
only balanced in carbs, protein and fat, it BRINGS BALANCE to your diet and your life. The best part is, Balanced Snacking tastes great!
Examples of Balanced Snacks:
Try Balanced Snacking and let me know on the Gourmet Healer Facebook page, how it works for you. You must commit to it in order for it to work, and you must do some planning ahead if you're going to be out and about. You can put together simple snacks like 1/3 cup raw nuts and 1/4 cup raisins or currents in a bag, or an apple along with a bag of raw almonds. Always have Balanced Snacks with you instead of relying on the corner store or "snack" machine, which 9 times out of 10 will steer you wrong.
Blessings and Good Health,
The Gourmet Healer
Weight loss is very much about keeping blood glucose/sugar levels steady throughout the day. Insulin plays a big role as well, since when blood glucose levels spike, the body produces insulin to bring it back down to normal. When the body is constantly having to pump out insulin to normalize blood sugar, say from sipping on sodas, sweet tea and juices all day, we've got a problem. This is because insulin causes the body to store fat. So, high insulin levels means lots of fat storage, especially in the belly area. Insulin also feeds tumor cells. Yikes! This means that we need to eat in a way that supports normal levels of insulin production.
Most of us typically run into other problems with blood sugar as well. When we skip meals or don't have balanced snacks between meals, blood sugar levels drop and we are suddenly very irritable (Some people get violent), we may get shakey, dizzy or get a headache, and we are ravenously hungry. We tend to be so hungry that even when we're full, we can't seem to stop eating. We're having an internal conversation that sounds like this:
"OK, I feel full, but this tastes so good. Just a little more. I'll stop after this. Oh, but I just want to keep eating! Oh man, did I seriously just finish these chips by myself? My meal hasn't even come yet! " Am I right or am I right?
Let me paint the physiological picture now: You're getting low blood sugars from skipping meals and snacks, which then makes you REALLY hungry. At dinner, you overeat, which sends your blood sugar soaring, which causes large amounts of insulin to be pumped out in response. Then perhaps we wake up full from our large dinner the night before and we skip breakfast. The craving cycle begins again.
With proper planning of meals and snacks, we can break this cycle. I like to focus clients and patients on having Balanced Snacks to avoid the craving cycle. I focus on snacks to do this because if they are balanced in protein, carbohydrate and fat, and taken mid-morning and mid-afternoon, they help us to achieve a goal that's commonly set but missed: cutting portions at meal time.
Now, let's take this a step further. In reality, we typically get all or more than we need at meal
times where carbohydrates are concerned. When we snack on breads, cookies, chips, cereal, etc, we're likely going over the amount of starches/carbs our bodies need each day (and at one time) for proper functioning. This means that these carbs are extra energy that will be stored as fat. Additionally, many of us are eating too many carbs at meal times because didn't eat a Balanced Snack 1-3 hours beforehand.
A first step to decreasing your overall carb intake from excessive to normal, is to commit to having only fruit or vegetables as your snack-time carb. You're having complex carbs instead of grains and starch here. Pair it up with 1 serving of protein and fat (nuts, cheese, milk, egg) to make it last and to keep your blood sugar from dipping in another 1-2 hours. By practicing Balanced Snacking, you will automatically eat less at your meal, cutting your carb intake again, without feeling deprived. Trying to lower your weight, cholesterol, blood pressure or control diabetes? If you practice Balanced Snacking, you can achieve all of these health goals and then some.
Not only are you cutting your carb intake with Balanced Snacking, you're increasing your fruit and veggie intake, which always makes us feel better and lose weight. Snacking this way is not
only balanced in carbs, protein and fat, it BRINGS BALANCE to your diet and your life. The best part is, Balanced Snacking tastes great!
Examples of Balanced Snacks:
- 1/3 cup raw almonds and an apple
- 2 TBSP almond butter and apple slices or carrot sticks
- 2 TBSP peanut butter with celery
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese with fresh peaches
- 1 string cheese and grapes
- mixed green/veggie salad with 1 sliced boiled egg and 1 tsp olive oil dressing
- cantaloupe wrapped in sliced turkey
- 1/2 cup tuna salad (made with minimal mayo) and orange slices
- plain yogurt sweetened with vanilla extract, cinnamon and a sweet fruit(s) such as pineapple or mango.
- There are many more combinations to be tried!
- Figs and 1 oz of Gouda cheese.
- 1 oz of cheese is about the size of a domino.
- 1/3 cup of nuts is usually a handful. Measure it out for a while before eyeballing it.
Try Balanced Snacking and let me know on the Gourmet Healer Facebook page, how it works for you. You must commit to it in order for it to work, and you must do some planning ahead if you're going to be out and about. You can put together simple snacks like 1/3 cup raw nuts and 1/4 cup raisins or currents in a bag, or an apple along with a bag of raw almonds. Always have Balanced Snacks with you instead of relying on the corner store or "snack" machine, which 9 times out of 10 will steer you wrong.
Blessings and Good Health,
The Gourmet Healer
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