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!!

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 EVOO

1 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!

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:

• 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.

Extra tips:

• 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

Dilled Brown Rice and Kidney Beans

This is an amazing salad that's super easy to put together once you've got your ingredients on hand. It is always a hit at parties and get this--it's totally good for you! It's also a great dish to make ahead and eat as part of lunches and dinners during the week. Since it's a combo of beans and rice, it's a great source of protein, but also fiber, antioxidants and heart healthy oil.
And by the way, this is not only Gluten-Free, but Dairy (Casein), Nut and Soy Free as well, for those on special diets.
Depending on where you live, you might have to try a little harder than usual to get one of the vinegars that is used. If you live in a rural area, just pick some up the next time you're in the big city! It's called umeboshi plum vinegar, which is the left-over juice from the umeboshi plum pickling process. It gives a unique salty-sour taste and is usually found in the Asian section. While you're in the Asian section, just go ahead and pick up some regular and/or hot pepper sesame oil. I'll let you know the many ways in which you can use this in the future.

Now, I just want to add that I can't take credit for this one. I got it from my favorite cookbook, Feeding the Whole Family, Whole Foods Recipes for Babies, Young Children and Their Parents, by Cynthia Lair. This was one of the best gifts I've ever been given. It really got me started on figuring out how to cook more naturally for myself and my family.

Salad
2 cups cooked brown rice
1.5 cups cooked kidney beans
0.5 cups red onion, chopped

Dressing
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1 tablespoon umeboshi plum vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh dill or 2 tsp dried dill

Mix oil, vinegars and dill with whisk or shake in a small jar. Pour dressing over rice, onion and beans; toss gently. If possible, let set an hour or two as flavors integrate nicely over time.

Another Amazing Breakfast Idea

So check this breakfast out my fellow Gourmet Healers! This idea developed when I tasted a dip at a party that was nut butter based with some flax seed mixed in. I decided to try to make my own version at home, at first as a spread on Wasa Rye crackers, which was great. Then it evolved into breakfast, and that' s when I fell in love. It was when I added it to toast that I had spread lightly with Virgin Unrefined Coconut Oil (VUCO) and coupled it with a glass of Organic Unhomogenized Whole milk that it became a masterpiece. Please try it and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
Your favorite whole grain bread (should have 3 grams of fiber or more per serving).
Mine: French Meadow Hemp Bread, which is a sprouted whole grain, wheat and hemp bread with organic flax, pumpkin and sesame seeds--a nice source of Omega 3's right out of the gate.
Virgin Unrefined Coconut Oil. Don't be leary. VUCO is mostly saturated fat, but it also very rich in anti-microbial fatty acids and can be helpful to those wanting to lose weight.
Creamy & Raw Almond Butter or Cashew Butter. I like the taste of almond butter, as well as the fact that it is rich in monounsaturated fat. That it is raw means that the healthy oils have not been exposed to heat and therefore are not degraded and rendered useless. All nuts and nutbutters should be consumed raw for this reason.
Flaxseed Oil. This oil is very rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, which is why this oil should be added on a regular basis--such as at breakfast time!
Flaxseed. Same as flax seed oil, but adds some fiber to the mix.
Vanilla Extract. This is the ingredient that takes it home. Vanilla adds a heavenly sweetness and coolness to the spread. And, of course, it is noted to have health benefits as well, which include fighting inflammation--and according to recent research, we can all stand to be a little less inflamed.
Actually, every ingredient in this recipe helps to fight inflammation somehow, whether it be through providing Omega 3's and other anti-inflammatory oils or by providing antioxidants.
And to top it all off, this breakfast tastes completely indulgent.

Directions:
1.In a small custard bowl, mix about 1 TBSP of almond butter (or YOUR favorite natural nut butter) with 1/2 tsp of flaxseed, 1/2 to 1 tsp flaxseed oil and 1/8 tsp vanilla.
2.Toast bread (I use 2 slices because they're small pieces and I need for my breakfast to stick with me) and spread about 1/2 to 1 tsp of VUCO onto toast.
3.Spread nutbutter mixture onto toast and enjoy with a 6-8 oz glass of milk or 6 oz plain (I use Greek) yogurt sweetened with vanilla.
4.Add some local honey if your allergies are bugging you, but there is no real need for sugars to be added otherwise. I also sometimes add a probiotic powder from USANA, which is tasteless. **Those whose immune systems are compromised/suppressed due to immunosuppressive drugs should not use probiotics.

Also of note, this breakfast can easily be made Gluten-Free. Just use GF bread and make sure you use coconut oil and nutbutters that have not been processed in a facility that also processes wheat. Spectrum makes a great coconut oil that is GF. The 365 brand pictured is not GF.

Blessings and Good Health,
The Gourmet Healer

Narrowed Focus

I am now officially focusing my energy on guiding Moms--especially busy Moms like myself--toward optimal nutrition. Changing the health of Americans and others truly starts with Mothers--even before conception. This is not to say that Dads' roles and nutrition status do not impact the health of our children. But Women have a lot of power here. First of all, we can choose a mate who takes care of him/herself and is committed to supporting us in doing the same. In a tie for first, we can take care of ourselves in preparation for our unborn children and as a healthy model for those already with us. Moms establish the tone of the feeding relationship from day one by being sensitive to their babies' needs, making eye to eye contact and breastfeeding. Dads, Partners and family members have supporting roles in making for a good feeding relationship as well and the value of these roles are not to be underestimated. Mothers must care for themselves first so that they may be fully engaged and attentive with their children--physically, emotionally and spiritually. Part of caring for themselves is maintaining a healthy weight, which comes with optimal eating, hydration, supplementation when necessary and exercise. Knowing what optimal eating really means will ensure that Moms (and Dads AND Grandparents) are feeding their children well and establishing lifelong good habits. Understanding the difference between adult eating patterns and child eating patterns also ensures that children will be fed and nourished optimally. Unfortunately, many of us have learned eating patterns that are far from optimal, and we are in a state of needing to unlearn our current habits. This can be confusing without the right resources and experts for guidance. So many times, Parents continue the negative eating behaviors established in their childhood with their own children. Who can blame them? We teach what we know. And, of course, who do any of us look to for advice on how to feed their children? Primarily, this tends to be the very people who taught us how to feed ourselves. And so the cycle continues.
I would like to be a positive influence in the lives of Parents and Children by focusing my practice on Mothers. Locally, I am beginning a series of classes called "Gourmet Healer Healthy Moms", which have various topics that pertain to self care, weight management, pre-natal and pre-conceptual nutrition, fostering a positive feeding relationship, childhood nutrition, eating well on a budget, cooking and more. Nationally and globally, I will soon begin providing my classes via Webinar, so that I may reach a wider audience, including those who already receive my e-newsletter. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I embark on this new journey.

Blessings and Good Health,

The Gourmet Healer

Asian Noodle Stir Fry

Fresh Asian Noodle Stir Fry
Instead of Ramen: reserve 1-serving portions of this dish and store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for later use. This should be used for meals, more so than for snacks. Snacks, as a general rule, should consist of fruit and vegetables paired with 1 serving of protein. That means no breads/noodles/crackers, etc.

Noodles:
½ package Whole Wheat Angel Hair Pasta, Buckwheat Soba Noodles, Gluten-Free pasta OR 1 prepared Spaghetti Squash! You can use Brown or Black rice here, too.
Stir Fry
1 tsp real butter or ghee (clarified butter with many health benefits) OR 2 tsp oil
2 minced cloves fresh garlic
1 small red or yellow onion, chopped
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 tsp freshly grated ginger or ½ tsp powdered ginger
1 bunch of broccoli, bite sized or 1 bag of frozen organic broccoli florets
1/2 tsp Bragg Liquid Amino (gluten-free soy sauce substitute) or Soy sauce
½ tsp Hot Pepper Sesame Oil (optional, but REALLY good)
1 tsp sesame seeds
Protein
2-3 whole free-range chicken legs, skin removed and boiled. Meat removed from bone after cool.
OR
1 pound of peeled shrimp from a good source
OR
1 package of firm tofu, cubed and marinated with 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp soy sauce, ½ tsp grated ginger and ½ cup pineapple juice.
Sauce
½ cup Peanut Butter
1-2 TBSP Hot Water
1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tsp Rice Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
½ tsp Soy Sauce or Bragg Liquid Amino

Directions:
1. Heat oil in pan on medium to medium-high..
2. Add onion, celery and garlic andcook for 1-2 min.
3. Add Bell Pepper and cook for an additional 1-2 min, stirring.
4. Add ginger and stir.
5. Add Broccoli, Soy Sauce/Bragg and Hot Sesame Oil and stir.
6. Cover and let simmer on low for about 5 minutes or until broccoli is getting tender.
7. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook noodles until al dente (easily cut with a fork) or as directed.
8. Meanwhile combine sauce ingredients in a small glass bowl and mix well. Add more hot water if necessary to come to a pourable consistency.
9. Uncover stir-fry and add chicken or tofu (stir gently). If using shrimp, either push veggies to the side and cook or remove veggies, cook the shrimp and add them back. Shrimp only takes a few minutes, so careful not to overcook it!
10. Add ½ sauce, mixing evenly.
11. Add noodles and stir, adding the rest of the sauce and sesame seeds and stirring until all is evenly mixed.
12. Serve immediately with a green side salad.
13. Remember that 1 actual serving of pasta is ½ cup, so have no more than 1 cup of noodles and pile on the veggies, using just enough meat or tofu.
14. Feel free to add 1 tsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to your Fresh Asian Noodle stir-fry just before enjoying, for added health benefits and increased flavor and lasting fullness!