Of course everyone knows that salads are usually a healthy option, but when they are not drenched in creamy dressing they can get pretty bland and boring. One way I like to mix them up is with puffed grains, they add some interesting texture and a unique lightness. Plus, I find that the addition avocado and other fruits highly increase my desire to eat a salad (along with increasing my intake of vitamins). Continue Reading →
Piña Colada Smoothie
Smoothies are great not just because they are fast and delicious, but also because they are easy to digest. Generally, most people do not chew their food enough so their digestive system has to work harder to break down the pieces of food, this takes away energy that could be devoted to something else. Because well blended food is easier to digest, it also means that the nutrients are easier for our bodies to absorb- making for a great après workout refuel. Continue Reading →
Coconut Lime Mini Flax Tarts
I like mini dessert items, mostly because they are more adorable, but also because just a few bites of something sweet and creamy is usually enough, and mini sizes offer built in portion control. Flax seeds are pretty amazing nutritionally because they have both soluble and insoluble fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and many antioxidants, but they must be ground up because our digestive systems cannot extract all these nutrients from whole flax seeds. Continue Reading →
Strawberry Pecan Salad
This is one of my most beloved summer meals. I recommend getting fresh greens, ideally from a local farm or market because the leaves are so tender and soft when they are just picked. The maple and balsamic in the dressing really accentuate the sweetness of the strawberries and the buttery pecans add a grounding earthy flavor. Continue Reading →
Crispy Prawns with Citrus Poppyseed Cucumber Salad
It’s an exciting day, I had my first round of ripe cherry tomatoes from the garden! There weren’t many yet but they make a good addition to this cucumber salad which is very refreshing and nicely balances out the crispy prawns. Which, by the way are sooo good, they kind of taste like popcorn shrimp, except that they are much healthier than the original which usually calls for larger quantities of nutrient devoid refined oil and a thick white flour based coating. Continue Reading →
Mexican Bean Salad
This is a very vibrant salad with lots of different vitamins and nutrients. The beans are a great source of folate, calcium, potassium and B vitamins. They are very dense and help your body utilize leptin, a hormone that signals to your brain that you are satiated. A salad like this a more food safe option for BBQs than mayonnaise based or dairy heavy salads, because it can sit out longer. Continue Reading →
Agua de Jamaica
The beautiful red color of this drink comes from dried hibiscus flowers. I like it when Western science can prove the effectiveness of natural remedies, as is the case with hibiscus. Many recent studies have shown it to be effective at lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, regulating blood sugar levels and promoting improved circulation. Plus it also contains a high concentration of many antioxidants and Vitamin C. Continue Reading →
Steak with Bourbon Bacon BBQ Sauce
Most commercial BBQ sauces are filled with artificial sweeteners and cheap fillers. This is a very decadent homemade alternative. It still has lots of sweetness but none of the ingredients come from a laboratory. It does take a lot longer than opening a prepared bottle but it is so worth it! You can make it the day before serving and store it in the fridge. Continue Reading →
Beery Lobster Potato Salad
This is a bit of a weird combination, but it features two of my favorite foods (potatoes and lobster), and it makes for a nicely indulgent but unpretentious meal. It can be served warm like a German potato salad or served cold like an American one and it’s even better on the second day. Continue Reading →
No Peanut Pad Thai Salad
This is a more western version of Pad Thai, without the usual fish sauce and tamarind paste but it makes a satisfying summer salad. Don’t get me wrong, I love peanuts even though they are nut imposters- they are actually legumes. Now I don’t have any qualms with legumes either, but I try to avoid peanuts because they are highly prone to developing aflatoxin. As scary as it sounds, aflatoxins are naturally occurring but carcinogenic mycotoxins produced by a fungus that likes to contaminate peanuts.