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Broccoli Salad
Broccoli has been shown to lose much of their vitamin C, when cooked. Eating raw is perfect! You get an extra nutritional punch, speedy preparation, and less mess to clean up! Broccoli is a plant in the cabbage family, and is high in vitamin C and dietary fiber; it also contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties, such as diindolylmethane and small amounts of selenium. A high intake of broccoli has been found to reduce the risk of aggressive prostate cancer. Broccoli consumption may also help prevent heart disease. Check out this recipe for Raw Broccoli Salad!
Raw Broccoli Salad
Serves 4
1 large head of broccoli, trimmed into very small bite size pieces
½ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup red onion juice (from blender)
½ cup homemade mayonnaise
1 cup dried cranberries
¾ cup toated pepitas (recipe below)
Start by making the dressing first. Mix 1/2 cup of homemade mayonnaise with 1/4 cup red onion juice, 2 Tbsp of honey, salt and pepper to taste. Dip a piece of broccoli into the dressing to see if you need to adjust the flavor.
Toasted Pepitas (Pumkin seeds)
Pepita is a Spanish culinary term for the roasted, salted and shelled pumpkin seed. The seeds are typically rather flat and asymmetrically oval, and light green in color inside a white hull. The word can refer either to the hulled kernel or unhulled whole seed, and most commonly refers to the roasted end product. The seeds are also good sources of protein, as well as iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and potassium.
Season your seeds with a few pinches of each: cinnamon, cumin, corriander, salt & pepper. Toast them in the toaster oven for less than 10 minutes, be sure to watch them closely!
Toss it all together and top with an extra handful of toated pepitas and dried cranberries to garnish. It’s also great with sunflower seeds, pine nuts, or chopped cashews! Yum!
Farm Fresh!
Give me the protein!
Eggs are full of numerous vitamins, including vitamin A, potassium and many B vitamins like folic acid, choline and biotin, are also packed into this oval-shaped staple [Source: USDA]. In fact, very few foods share the same diverse nutrient makeup available in a single egg. Many of these are specifically needed for the health of the nerves and the brain. In truth, the yolk is where many of the vitamins and nutrients are found! [Source: Discovery Health]
Asian Sensation
Tom Yum Soup
This Thai inspired soup is very hearty and can be made vegetarian or with seafood or chicken. The lemongrass and coconut milk really give it that Thai PUNCH!
Ingredients:
Fish Stock (8-10 cups)
Coconut milk (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 Cabbage
1 cup sliced Mushrooms
1/2 cup diced Red Onion
1/2 cup diced Scallions
1 cup sliced Tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped Cilantro
2 Tbsp Chili Oil
1/2 cup Fish Sauce
1 cup chopped Bok Choi
1/4 cup fresh Lime juice
1/4 cup minced Lemongrass
Saute vegetables, and allow all the ingredients to simmer together for at least 30 minutes.
Sunday Food Funday
Its easy to prepare for the work week ahead with roasted chicken breasts and lemony french green beans. I like to buy my chicken in bulk with the bone in. You save so much money that way. You will love my Raw Lemon Green Bean Salad. The lemon zest and juice break down the green beans, so they have a nice crunch, and a fresh lemony bite. Here’s the recipe!
Roasted Chicken
5 Bone-In Chicken Breasts
Kosher Salt, Fresh Ground Black Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, Garlic Powder, Herbs de Provence
I make a paste in a separate bowl with all the seasonings and some olive oil. Measurements depend on how salty and spicy you want your chicken to be. But I make enough to stuff the paste under the skin, and all over the outside top and bottom. Roast your chicken at 400F for around 40 minutes, or until the tempurature inside the thickest part of the breast reaches 170F.
Raw Lemon Green Bean Salad
1 lb french green beans
6-8 large lemons, zested, and juiced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and Fresh Black Pepper to taste
Wash, dry, and trim the ends off of your green beans, and I like to cut them in half. Put them in a shallow tupperware container, so that most of the green beans can soak up the lemony goodness. Pour all of your ingredients over the green beans, toss well, and allow to marinate overnight in the fridge. The longer it sits, the better it gets! You will love that amazing crunch! Enjoy!
Going Raw
Raw vegetables can be jazzed up in so many ways, you will love these bold flavors.. And no one will know that it wasn’t steamed, grilled, or roasted in the oven. Broccoli and red bell peppers have been shown to lose much of their vitamin C, when cooked. Eating raw is perfect! You get an extra nutritional punch, faster preparation, and less mess to clean up! Check out these fun recipes!
Raw Asparagus Salad
Serves 4
1 lb asparagus spears*
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped tomato
6 celery stalks with leaves*
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
**Hold the asparagus together and slice from the tips down, and stop when it starts to turn light in color. You should have small “asparagus disks” Then slice the celery down lengthwise and chop very thin slices.
I seasoned each layer with freshly cracked black pepper, a pinch of kosher salt and a few red pepper flakes.. As well as a dash of red wine vinegar and olive oil on each layer. I finished it with a spoonful of homemade mayonnaise and tossed the whole salad together. Crumble some feta cheese on top!
Raw Broccoli Salad1/2
Serves 4
1 large head of broccoli, trimmed into very small bite size pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 cup dried cranberries
Start by making the dressing first. Mix 1 cup of homemade mayonnaise with 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup of honey, salt and pepper to taste. Dip a piece of broccoli in there to see if you need to adjust the flavor. Toss it all together and top with an extra handful of dried cranberries to garnish. Also great with sunflower seeds, pine nuts, walnuts or chopped cashews! Yum!
Mediterranean Madness
I love eating Mediterranean, especially when I’m entertaining. It’s super fast and simple to throw together your favorite olives, peppers, pita, and hummus for everyone to dive into. I’m going to share with you some of the best wine pairings for olives and cheeses, and I also have a special SCD recipe for “Hummus.” So YUM!
I absolutely love chopped red bell peppers and hummus. If you’re having a party, pick something colorful. You can also stack veggie slices in taller glasses for more height.. And I think its fun to leave the leaves on the celery sticks. 
So now, this where we get mad with all things Mediterranean. This salad is great to make ahead, because there is no lettuce, the chopped vegetables stay crisp while they soak up yummy sun-dried tomato olive oil. Serves 4.
2 red bell peppers chopped
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
1 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Season each layer with a drizzle of sun-dried tomato olive oil, a small splash of garlic red wine vinegar, kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes
I like to call myself an olive connoisseur. One of my favorite olives is from Sicily, called Castelveltrano. They are bright green, round, and salty and buttery in flavor, and great to have with Chardonnay and feta cheese. I love my kalamatas too, but I like them better with a Pinot noir, like Meiomi, and slices of smoked Gouda cheese or goat cheese with crackers.
And finally, I have been doing some serious SCD recipe testing. And I think I have found a way to make hummus without the chickpeas! Because if you are following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, garbanzo beans or chick peas are illegal. I’ve been experimenting with substituting roasted cauliflower. I know, it sounds weird, but roasted, then blended with infused olive oils.. Its sure to be a crowd pleaser! Stay tuned for some yummy “hummus” recipes!
Gettin’ Juiced
I love juicing! These apples from a friends backyard, were so sweet and juicy!
From the Garden
Perfect salads start with the best ingredients.. And what’s better than foraging food from your own backyard?! This baby romaine lettuce grew so fast from just a spoonful of seeds, and just survived a hard freeze!
Here is my simple vegetarian Greek salad:
2 cups chopped baby lettuce
1 chopped tomato
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives
1/4 cup feta cheese
Olive oil salt and pepper the first 3 layers, add red pepper flakes if you like it hot
Now get out and grow something!
Not just another salade!
Arugula Salad with Figs, Prosciutto, and orange balsamic vinaigrette.
You will love this salad because it is really fruity and super salty, a great combination.. I marinated the figs in freshly squeezed orange juice and orange segments. The arugula is dressed with sundried tomato oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. Crisp your prosciutto in the oven at 375F for 10 minutes and crumble it on top. Here’s the recipe:
4-5 figs quartered
2 oranges juiced
3 cups arugula
2 Tbsp sundried tomato oil
4 Tbsp chopped sundried tomatoes
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3-4 thin slices prosciutto, crisp
salt and pepper to taste
