I love this salad for it’s simplicity and delicious spicy, tangy flavor. Try it and let me know what you think.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 chopped garlic cloves
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
6 cups baby arugula
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts
The easiest way I have found to make salad dressing is to put all my ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake it. So do that (mustard, garlic, lemon, oil, salt and pepper). Ok now taste it to make sure it is the right amount of delicious. Toss your dressing with your greens, top with the hazelnuts and dinner is served!
You may have heard me talk about (or seen the crock pot in the kitchen with) bone broths, also called continuous soup, or perpetual soup.
This is basically a chicken frame (bones n bits) covered in water and slow roasted in a crock pot. I cook mine for a minimum of four days. You could certainly create a lovely and nourishing stock by cooking your bird for 24 hours. There are a whole host of reasons why this is good for you to drink especially here in the Pacific Northwest in the winter.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, bone broth nourishes our kidneys and adrenal glands, which can become depleted when stressed. It also supports your chi and builds blood.
The minerals released from the long slow cooking process support healthy teeth, bones and skin. Just be sure to add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar – thanks to my acupuncturist Danielle Melanson for this tip. The acid facilitates the extraction of minerals and nutrients from the bones into the soup. Add two tablespoons of vinegar per quart of water (for about 2 pounds of bones).
I make a batch of broth about once a week then sip on it, or use it to cook rice, steam veggies (save the broth and drink it – in the south this is called “pot liquor”) or start a pot of soup. Toss in some leftover chicken and veggies, maybe a little rice or quinoa, and you have a fast healthy dinner.
What are your favorite winter warming foods?
Anne McCranie is a Portland, Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She enjoys eating, talking about, and sharing good food. The above information is intended to spark your interest in new food. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.
I came upon a version of this recipe while I was home for the holidays and wanted to share it with you. Carrots are loaded with vitamins A, C, K, and potassium and the shrimp and eggs pack a protein punch. Try this and let me know what you think.
Ingredients:
10 – 12 large carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch matchsticks
2 cups small to medium shrimp
4 boiled eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1 tbsp creole mustard (sub brown or dijon if needed)
3 tbsps olive oil
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced red bell peppers
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup sliced green onions
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce to taste
Prep:
Set a bowl of ice water in the sink. Peel and devein your shrimp. Bring a large pot of water to boil and poach your shrimp 1-2 minutes until just pink. Scoop them out and place in the ice bath. Poach carrots in your shrimp water until just tender and scoop them out and into the ice bath. Separate eggs whites from yolks and dice the whites. In a large bowl mix the yolks, mayonnaise, mustards and oil. Mix in peppers, garlic, onions and add salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste. Drain your carrots and shrimp. Mix the cooled carrots, shrimp and egg whites with the dressing and serve.
What does your Thanksgiving menu look like? This year our group is doing seafood instead of a bird (with all the sides of course). My favorite part of thanksgiving is the side dishes and you could easily make a meal just out of these.
Are you hosing vegetarians this holiday? If so here are some good ideas from the New York Times. Each Thanksgiving they showcase meat free recipes. Check out this recipe for Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts for a pacific northwest style Thanksgiving side dish. It’s super easy, you just toss the sprouts in olive oil and roast them. Check it out and let me know what you think.
As the weather cools off I am making more use of my oven. Here is an easy baked chicken recipe everyone will love. One of my clients recently turned me on to preserved lemon which I used in this recipe. Grated lemon rind would also work.
Citrus Baked Chicken and Potatoes
Ingredients:
Chicken – I used four bone in, skin on thighs.
Potatoes – one small bag of new potatoes (two or three cups) washed and cut in half
One tablespoon of chopped preserved lemon (or fresh lemon rind)
One half cup of orange juice.
Two chopped garlic cloves
Salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
Your choice of chopped fresh herbs – I used thyme and oregano
Two tablespoons of coconut oil or butter
Prep:
Preheat oven to 350. Season your bird with salt and pepper. Heat a large oven proof pan over medium high heat then add two tablespoons of coconut oil or butter. Cook chicken (skin side down) for five minutes. Remove from heat, carefully flip it over and snuggle the potatoes, garlic, lemon, and spices around the chicken. Pour the o.j. on top and add enough water to cover the potatoes and chicken about halfway. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the meat and potatoes are cooked through (poke the meat with a knife, when it is no longer pink it is done).
*Why all the fat you ask (butter, coconut oil, dark meat)? I loosely follow a “Traditional Foods” diet which includes pasture raised meat and dairy, lots of good fats, soaked grains and fermented vegetables. For more information check out the Nourished Kitchen website.
