Last night, I went home rather tired and not having any desire to cook. However, after a supplement and soak in the tub, I was rejuvenated and inspired. I have wanted to try my hand at salmon burgers ever since I tasted this bite of heaven at Escobar's several weeks ago. My poor co-worker Carly has been ever patient with me as I have lamented and lamented about this. I am pleased to report that the experiment was a success. I actually wished I had two stomachs so that I could have kept eating.
I used a combination of pink and red salmon, finely chopped onions and two eggs. I mixed the combination in a bowl and set them in a very hot skillet with a little olive oil. Nothing out of the ordinary. The secret, however, is in the sauce. I wanted to make a basil aioli just like it was served at Escobar's, but no basil. So I made a mustard dill mayonnaise and scallion chive yogurt. (I like to use plain organic yogurt in place of sour cream.)
Lots of omega 3's and other good things for the immune system. And also lots of delight for the palate. Enjoy.
Mustard Dill Mayonnaise
2 egg yolks
2 T. mustard
1 c. oil
1 T. dill
Place in bowl and mix or place in blender. Warm bowl for best results.
Scallion Chive Yogurt
1 c. yogurt
2 T. finely chopped scallions
1 t. chives
Mix in small bowl.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
What to do on a Blustery Spring Weekend: How About Carrot Ginger Soup?
This weekend was a beautiful weekend to stay inside, sip tea, watch movies, and cook. A time to rest, restore and wholly be delighted by the sights and sounds of beauty that come from the deepest recesses of the imagination. And I took full advantage. With the blustery cold weather I was inspired to make soup - ginger carrot soup to be exact. It was wonderful, rich, warm, and fully delightful. I love to eat things that actually allow me to feel I am getting healthier as I eat them. This was definitely one of them.
I will give you the recipe as I tried it. It needed more ginger for my taste, so there may be an updated list of ingredients at some point as I continue to test this:
3 T. unsalted butter
1 1/2 onions, peeled and chopped
4 c. chicken broth
2 pounds of carrots, ends cut off, rinsed and chopped
2 T. grated fresh ginger
2 c. 2% milk
Salt & pepper
Plain yogurt
In a large pan melt butter over medium heat. Add onions. Stir and cook until onions are translucent. Add broth, carrots and ginger. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until carrots are tender and can be pierced easily with a fork. Let cool for 10-15 minutes.
Transfer mixture to blender in batches. Fill blender only to approximately 1/2 full to prevent hot liquid from spurting out of the blender. Pulse mixture then slowly advance setting to puree until smooth. Return mixture to the pan and add milk.* Bring soup to a boil slowly and salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into bowls. Garnish with dollop of organic plain yogurt (serves as good replacement for sour cream) and sprig of parsley or thyme.
* This may be better, i.e., smoother and richer with whole milk or heavy whipping cream.
The prep time is 20-25 minutes. Cook time is ~45 minutes.
Along with this wonderful spring soup, steep your favorite tea or spring drink, fire up a movie and enjoy. So often we are geared on being productive that we forget slowing down and enjoying great food, entertainment, the company of friends, or just the quiet of being able to breathe are some of the most restorative things we can do. They nourish us physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally. And when we take time for these things, we are restored and made whole from the inside out and the outside in. Enjoy. And laugh lots.
I will give you the recipe as I tried it. It needed more ginger for my taste, so there may be an updated list of ingredients at some point as I continue to test this:
3 T. unsalted butter
1 1/2 onions, peeled and chopped
4 c. chicken broth
2 pounds of carrots, ends cut off, rinsed and chopped
2 T. grated fresh ginger
2 c. 2% milk
Salt & pepper
Plain yogurt
In a large pan melt butter over medium heat. Add onions. Stir and cook until onions are translucent. Add broth, carrots and ginger. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until carrots are tender and can be pierced easily with a fork. Let cool for 10-15 minutes.
Transfer mixture to blender in batches. Fill blender only to approximately 1/2 full to prevent hot liquid from spurting out of the blender. Pulse mixture then slowly advance setting to puree until smooth. Return mixture to the pan and add milk.* Bring soup to a boil slowly and salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into bowls. Garnish with dollop of organic plain yogurt (serves as good replacement for sour cream) and sprig of parsley or thyme.
* This may be better, i.e., smoother and richer with whole milk or heavy whipping cream.
The prep time is 20-25 minutes. Cook time is ~45 minutes.
Along with this wonderful spring soup, steep your favorite tea or spring drink, fire up a movie and enjoy. So often we are geared on being productive that we forget slowing down and enjoying great food, entertainment, the company of friends, or just the quiet of being able to breathe are some of the most restorative things we can do. They nourish us physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally. And when we take time for these things, we are restored and made whole from the inside out and the outside in. Enjoy. And laugh lots.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Spring Is Here: Celebrate with Smoothies
I love spring. It is a time of awakening, of new beginnings and great change. Suddenly a landscape barren of green and leaves bursts forth with new color. Blooms on the magnolias are coming alive. The red buds are close behind. And ah, the daffodils, jonquils and tulips. Everything is coming to life. There couldn't be a better time for us to fall in line and add a little more color to our lives as well.
I recommend starting with fresh green leafy vegetables and dark berries. These foods are chocked full of nutrients that fill us with energy - magnesium, B vitamins, vitamins C, A & K, trace minerals, and more phytonutrients than we can imagine. They also have lots of fiber, which helps keep our digestive tracts healthy and moving freely. Some studies have shown that the fiber and nutrients in these foods can lower cholesterol and reduce our risks for things like heart disease and cancer. I was so inspired the other day that I decided to throw all these together into a smoothie that tasted like life (see recipes below). It was wonderful. I literally could feel myself getting healthier.
So look to those darkly pigmented fruits and vegetables for the very things that will give you a great boost. Spring into spring and bring on the color in your diet. It will change you forever- from the inside out.
Enjoy!
I recommend starting with fresh green leafy vegetables and dark berries. These foods are chocked full of nutrients that fill us with energy - magnesium, B vitamins, vitamins C, A & K, trace minerals, and more phytonutrients than we can imagine. They also have lots of fiber, which helps keep our digestive tracts healthy and moving freely. Some studies have shown that the fiber and nutrients in these foods can lower cholesterol and reduce our risks for things like heart disease and cancer. I was so inspired the other day that I decided to throw all these together into a smoothie that tasted like life (see recipes below). It was wonderful. I literally could feel myself getting healthier.
So look to those darkly pigmented fruits and vegetables for the very things that will give you a great boost. Spring into spring and bring on the color in your diet. It will change you forever- from the inside out.
Enjoy!
A couple of my favorite smoothie recipes:
1/4 c. blackberries
1/4 c. black raspberries
1 small carrot finely chopped
1/4-1/2 c. kale, romaine or other green/lettuce
1/2 c. organic plain yogurt (whole or lowfat - not nonfat)
1/2 c. juice of your choice
1/4 c. black raspberries
1 small carrot finely chopped
1/4-1/2 c. kale, romaine or other green/lettuce
1/2 c. organic plain yogurt (whole or lowfat - not nonfat)
1/2 c. juice of your choice
1 c. mixed berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries)
1/2 c. organic milk of your choice or organic plain yogurt
1/2 c. green of your choice (kale, romaine, lettuce, etc.)
1/2 c. dark juice (pomegranate, blueberry, black raspberry, acai)
1/4 tsp. fresh ginger - minced
1/2 c. organic milk of your choice or organic plain yogurt
1/2 c. green of your choice (kale, romaine, lettuce, etc.)
1/2 c. dark juice (pomegranate, blueberry, black raspberry, acai)
1/4 tsp. fresh ginger - minced
Just throw in the blender and enjoy.
P.S. I lean toward smoothies instead of juicing because you still get the fiber, which is just as important as the nutrients.
Friday, April 1, 2011
A Journey Toward Healing
This journey started a long time ago when my mother touted constantly that we should make our plates colorful. She taught us well. But even so, a mostly healthy lifestyle didn't prevent me from having significant health challenges. I had everything from heart issues to serious fatigue to illnesses that were debilitating and nearly took my life - all by the time I was 31.
Health is a mystery, elusive at times yet wholly attainable. I think the first hurdle is our diet, i.e., our daily food intake. It is important that we view ourselves as uniquely designed, high-performance machines that need constant fueling. That fuel takes on many forms. A few examples would be:
For the Body: a wide variety of nutritious, chemical and antibiotic-free foods (organic if possible)
For the Mind: knowledge, information, challenges, reading, relaxation, vacation
For the Spirit: prayer, meditation, deep breathing (from the diaphragm), relaxation, vacation, rest
This is not a comprehensive list, but it is a good start. We need fuel, nourishment, rest - and lots of it. Finding healthy foods that work best for you as an individual is a good place to begin. According to research by William Wolcott and a few others, even foods that are healthy may not be healthy for certain individuals depending on how our bodies process these foods. I encourage you to keep a food journal and document how you feel after eating. Sometimes it can be about striking the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat. Sometimes it can be about eating certain foods at certain times of the day. Sometimes it is about cutting out as much toxicity from our diets as possible. Look for foods and food combinations that energize and satisfy you. It takes time to figure out some of these things, but it is worth it.
Also, there is a sea of information out there telling us to eat this and not that or that and not this. It is often confusing and overwhelming. While there is no one diet that will work for optimal health, here are a few rules of thumb:
Variety - meats, poultry, fish, lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains. We need a variety of foods loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and other good things for us. As we vary the types of foods we eat, we increase our chances of getting the nutrients we need in order to function well.
Think color - Generally, the more color a food has the more antioxidants and other nutrients it has.
Eat whole foods - Shop around the perimeter of the grocery store - fresh foods. Cut out processed foods - items in a box - loaded with chemicals and preservatives.
Drink plenty of water - Dehydration is a common occurrence. When severe, it can cause flu-like symptoms and feelings of fatigue. Cut out pop and caffeine. They may give you an initial boost, but these are pure poison - the pop especially - and the caffeine wears out your adrenal glands which produce the hormones that give us energy.
Things we don't need - growth hormone and antibiotic residues found in conventionally raised meat, poultry and dairy; pollutants/pesticides found on conventionally raised fruits and vegetables. Go organic whenever possible.
If going organic seems overwhelming, focus on what I consider to be the top three: meat, poultry and dairy. Cutting out this toxic load is important and the benefits are innumerable.
Whatever you decide to do, don't stress about it. Take your time. Baby steps are the best way to achieve lifelong change. And you are entirely worth it!
Health is a mystery, elusive at times yet wholly attainable. I think the first hurdle is our diet, i.e., our daily food intake. It is important that we view ourselves as uniquely designed, high-performance machines that need constant fueling. That fuel takes on many forms. A few examples would be:
For the Body: a wide variety of nutritious, chemical and antibiotic-free foods (organic if possible)
For the Mind: knowledge, information, challenges, reading, relaxation, vacation
For the Spirit: prayer, meditation, deep breathing (from the diaphragm), relaxation, vacation, rest
This is not a comprehensive list, but it is a good start. We need fuel, nourishment, rest - and lots of it. Finding healthy foods that work best for you as an individual is a good place to begin. According to research by William Wolcott and a few others, even foods that are healthy may not be healthy for certain individuals depending on how our bodies process these foods. I encourage you to keep a food journal and document how you feel after eating. Sometimes it can be about striking the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat. Sometimes it can be about eating certain foods at certain times of the day. Sometimes it is about cutting out as much toxicity from our diets as possible. Look for foods and food combinations that energize and satisfy you. It takes time to figure out some of these things, but it is worth it.
Also, there is a sea of information out there telling us to eat this and not that or that and not this. It is often confusing and overwhelming. While there is no one diet that will work for optimal health, here are a few rules of thumb:
Variety - meats, poultry, fish, lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains. We need a variety of foods loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and other good things for us. As we vary the types of foods we eat, we increase our chances of getting the nutrients we need in order to function well.
Think color - Generally, the more color a food has the more antioxidants and other nutrients it has.
Eat whole foods - Shop around the perimeter of the grocery store - fresh foods. Cut out processed foods - items in a box - loaded with chemicals and preservatives.
Drink plenty of water - Dehydration is a common occurrence. When severe, it can cause flu-like symptoms and feelings of fatigue. Cut out pop and caffeine. They may give you an initial boost, but these are pure poison - the pop especially - and the caffeine wears out your adrenal glands which produce the hormones that give us energy.
Things we don't need - growth hormone and antibiotic residues found in conventionally raised meat, poultry and dairy; pollutants/pesticides found on conventionally raised fruits and vegetables. Go organic whenever possible.
If going organic seems overwhelming, focus on what I consider to be the top three: meat, poultry and dairy. Cutting out this toxic load is important and the benefits are innumerable.
Whatever you decide to do, don't stress about it. Take your time. Baby steps are the best way to achieve lifelong change. And you are entirely worth it!
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