This has the healthy ingredients of a smoothie but the thick creaminess of a chocolate milkshake. Hemp is a pretty amazing plant, every part of which can be used and transformed into textiles, soap, paper, plastic, paint and more. The seeds are anti-inflammatory nutritional powerhouses rich in magnesium, protein and essential healthy fats. Continue Reading →
Smoked Salmon Kamut Pasta
Here in the Pacific Northwest, smoked salmon is a regional delicacy. Cold smoked and served over bagels, bread or crackers with cream cheese is pretty common but I like the hot (temperature, not spiciness) smoked versions the best. The end product is denser and flakier, just like baked salmon but with a slight smokiness and firm crust around the top from the pre-smoking curing. All smoked fish and meats tend to have more added sodium than their fresh versions and the use of smoke makes them potentially carcinogenic in large quantities, so they are best saved for occasional indulgences. When I have no inspiration to cook, I like to find an ingredient that I don’t normally use or that I think is really special, like smoked salmon, and build something around that. If it doesn’t work out that great then at least the process is fun. Continue Reading →
Subtly Spiced Nut Clusters
Most portable and quick snacks are quite sweet, with lots of stabilizers, preservatives and refined sugars so I like to make something like this when I am really busy or going on a road trip or long flight. They have lots of healthy fat, protein and fiber to fill you up between meals and they will not lead to any sugar crashes. Baking nuts and seeds into clusters with egg whites as a binder makes them a little easier to eat with your hands because there are no little pieces to fish out of a bag- much more convenient when on the go. Continue Reading →
Super Green Smoothie
The first time I had a fresh green smoothie I could not believe how energized and alive I felt. Over the past few years and lots of kitchen fails I have learned some tricks to making them totally edible and even delicious. The first trick is to blend the greens with the liquid before putting all the other ingredients in, unless you have a Vitamix, putting everything in at once can make an end product with chunks of green leaves… gross. Continue Reading →
Calcium Salad
The ingredients in this salad are all about cleansing and strengthening the body. There is an abundance of calcium from two of its best food sources- kale and sesame seeds (ground up in the tahini), as well as from the more moderate sources of chickpeas and lemon. Calcium is a mineral, and out of all the minerals to be found in our bodies, it is the most abundant. It is closely tied to the development and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth, regulating muscular contractions (including heart beats), and balanced functioning of the hormonal and nervous systems. Continue Reading →
Tuna Avocado Cups
Avocados are technically fruits but they are more like nuts, being low in sugar and high in fat with a creamy texture and rich flavor. In many nutritional philosophies and general thinking there is the principal that like increases like, but this is not the case with certain dietary fats. Seemingly contradictorily, eating good quality fats in moderation does not increase body fat percentages, and it can even help the body to metabolize current excess fat stores, or burn fat. Continue Reading →
Mediterranean Chicken and Yams
Skinless chicken is a great source of easily digestible protein (breasts are the cuts with the highest amount) but it can be tricky to cook- you need to make sure there is no pink left or salmonella is a real threat, but if cooked for too long it can get so dry because of its low fat content. Throwing it in the oven with some broth and extra vegetables is my favorite way to prepare it because you end up with a moist, flavorful dish that will not give anyone food poisoning. Continue Reading →
PB&J Recovery Smoothie
This smoothie is all about the strawberries… and peanut butter. It has lots of natural sugars from all the fruits, making it a good option to refuel after a tough workout. Strawberries have the most vitamin C out of all berries, and they are also the best source of iron and potassium. Peanuts are actually a legume, resulting in them being higher in B vitamins than most nuts. They also have substantial amounts of calcium, iron, zinc, potassium and magnesium. 
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Spaghetti Squash with Meaty Tomato Sauce
Spaghetti squash is a pretty unique vegetable. Once it is cooked it comes apart into long strands that look like regular spaghetti noodles. Beyond the cool factor, this squash is rich in potassium and vitamins A and C. It has a fraction of the calories and carbohydrates (not that those should be avoided) of regular white flour pasta but more fiber, which helps it to be just as filling, minus the resulting sluggishness and food coma that processed flours can bring. Continue Reading →
Infused Water
Water makes up around 60% of our bodies and it is the primary component of our blood, sweat and tears as well as our lymphatic fluid, digestive juices and urine. It is involved in almost every single function our body performs and plays an integral role in digestion, absorption of nutrients, circulation and elimination of wastes. When we do not consume enough water we basically dry ourselves out, becoming dehydrated. Continue Reading →