Fennel & Ginger Root Tea Elixir

Giving up a cup of your morning coffee might be better for you than you realize and transitioning into a lifestyle of consuming food and beverages that have a nutritional value or serve a specific value is something to consider. 

Recently a friend of mine suggested that I start drinking Fennel and Ginger Root tea each morning.  After doing a little research, I've found that these two roots have incredible health benefits that I would like to share with you.  

Fennel Root - Helps aid in digestion, relieves bloating and gas.  It helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol LDL levels, plus it helps reduce water weight which helps with weight loss.

Ginger Root - Helps fight respiratory problems, reduce inflammation, strengthens immunity, encourages normal blood circulation, reduces menstrual cramps and relieves stress.

So the next time your start a pot of coffee, start a pot of hot water and place some sliced Fennel and Ginger Root in while it simmers and sip it as some tea.  Don't add any sweetener as it doesn't need it and you don't either.  However a nice slice of lemon goes well.

Stormy

Seared Corn Salad & Avocado

Having great ingredients on hand make's it a lot easier to throw together a light lunch when your hungry.  I love the variety of mixed greens available at the grocer that are already triple washed so you don't have to do it.  My favorite combo is from Earthbound Farms - the Mixed Baby Herbs; it has Arugula, Spinach, Green and Red Oak Leaf, Romaine, Parsley, Dill and Cilantro.   Which makes it a great way to incorporate a variety of greens into your meal plans.  

I always keep a bag of frozen corn in the freezer and a couple of avocados on the counter in a bowl.  The key to picking great avocados is buying them when they are still firm - but the core comes out when you push it.  Leave it on the counter for 2-3 days and it's perfectly ripe!

I seared the Corn in a some Olive Oil, with some Red Onions, then I added some Whole Cumin Seeds and cooked it until the corn was seared.  Then I removed it from the heat, added some Himalayan Pink Sea Salt and Fresh Black Pepper.  Transfer to a plate to cool.

Once the corn is cooled, slice some grape tomatoes, toss with the corn and a little vinaigrette.

My vinaigrette was simple:

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard 

3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

2 teaspoons Stevia

6 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pinch Ground Cumin

Pinch Ground Coriander

Himalayan Pink Salt 

Black Pepper, Freshly Cracked

Mix it up, dress your greens...lightly.  Then slice the avocado in half, remove the seed.  Place your dressed greens on the plate, add the avocado half, fill the avocado with the corn salad and enjoy!  How easy it that?

Stormy

Gluten Free Oatmeal, Flax, Nuts & Fruit

Did you know that not all Oatmeal is Gluten Free?  Well...it's true so just because you are eating oats doesn't mean it's GF.  Unfortunately most oats are cross contaminated with wheat, barley and/or rye which occurs during harvesting, transporting, milling, processing and packaging.  The good news is there are reputable companies out there that produce GF oats in fields and packaging facilities that are GF facilities.  I prefer Bob's Red Mill brand. I'm just gluten intolerant but some of you might have Celiac's Disease and you might want to consult with your doctor before consuming oats.

Preparing oatmeal from whole form brings a much more hearty and flavorful oatmeal.  I like to add a mixture of nuts for crunch and added nutrition, flax seeds for Omega 3 which is a key source to fight inflammation and heart disease.  Add some Himalayan Pink Salt to the water before boiling. 

Instead of butter, use extra virgin coconut oil.  Consuming at least 1 TBSP of coconut oil daily will help aid in improving your metabolism and digestion, decrease blood pressure, increase your immunity system.  Not to mention the coconut oil adds a wonderful richness and healthy fat so you feel your are not being deprived.

I use Stevia extract as my sweetener and omit brown sugar and honey.  Stevia extract contains no sugar, calories and is about 300 times more sweet! 

Throw in some berries some freshly grated orange zest you have a healthy, nutrient packed breakfast that will stay with you for a few hours.  

Look for Bob's Red Mill Old Fashioned Gluten Free Oats.

Very satisfying and better than those packets you microwave.  It only takes about 15 minutes and it's worth the effort.

Thanks for stopping by...

Stormy

Grilled Broccoli & Cabbage Salad w/Smoked Salmon

Some days you just want to run through that drive thru on your way home from work. It was a long day, your tired and you just don't want to deal with it.  But you have to stop and think...How hard is it to throw together a salad, I mean really... 

Yesterday was one of those days. I was driving home and I decided I would stop at one of my favorite specialty food locations and pick up something to go with a salad so I didn't have to do too much to put together a nice  nutritious meal.  I'm not talking about a grocery store, I'm talking about seeking out places that make exceptional food and you can order it to go.  We have a great little BBQ place next door to work where this guy built his business by smoking high quality meats starting in his backyard.  His business grew through word of mouth and then his wife kicked him out of the backyard and told him to get serious about it.  I'm sure glad he did because he smokes the best BBQ I've ever tasted in Texas and everyone knows we are know for our BBQ.  

He smokes a salmon that is so succulent that it just melts in your mouth and I couldn't resist last night.  It was perfect.  I came home, fed the dogs, tossed some cabbage and broccoli with some sesame oil and fired up the grill.  While I changed clothes, I let the cabbage and broccoli cook on the grill.  Then I grabbed a nice glass of orange cinnamon iced tea and sat outside  until they were done cooking.

Then I chopped them up, thew together a vinaigrette and tossed it together.  The salmon was to die for and the salad was a nice crunchy side dish that pulled it all together.  Not to mention how good it was for me.  Much better than a drive thru and more satisfying.

Here is the vinaigrette I threw together:

Dijon Mustard

Lime Juice

Rice Wine Vinegar (unsweetened)

Sesame Oil

Honey 

Garlic Chili Paste

I tossed in some fresh cilantro and red onion.  Make sure to lightly coat the salad and not drown it in the vinaigrette.  It doesn't need much.

Tip of the week:  Seek out places that make handcrafted high quality ingredients and start putting them in our list to turn to when you want something good for your and tastes great without having to be sucked into the drive thru.

Stormy

  

Roasted Beet & Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

This week I'm focusing on the value of food that I put in my mouth.  I mean, have you ever stopped before you shove something in your mouth and asked yourself "What value does this bring to me when I eat it?"  If you haven't, maybe you should.  It's a simple little challenge that has a big impact.  

Stop, look at what your eating and if it's processed food, high in fat, has no nutritional value, then maybe you should be saying to yourself...."Back away from the Devil..."  Really...Bad food is really the Devil and if you fall into the arms of Devil you fall right into the place he wants you to be...addicted.

I love to grill Sweet Potatoes and the other day I had some beets so I wrapped them in foil and put them on the top shelf of the grill at 400 degrees.  It took about 30 minutes to  roast and then I peeled a sweet potato, sliced it into 1" thick slices, tossed them with Avocado Oil, sprinkled a little Himalayan Pink Salt and fresh cracked Black Pepper on them and grilled them on each side until there were grill marks and they are still slightly firm.  

I mixed up a vinaigrette with Dijon Mustard, Champagne Vinegar, Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar, Avocado Oil and seasoned it with Himalayan Pink Salt and fresh cracked Black Pepper.  

When the Beets were done roasting, I peeled off the skin, diced them and then I cut the Sweet Potatoes in half and sliced up some Red Onion.  While the Beets and Sweet Potatoes were still warm, I tossed them in the vinaigrette and then tossed in a little chopped fresh Cilantro leaves, chopped Walnuts and a little Goat Cheese crumbles.

OK - this is probably my new favorite salad!  It's crunchy, sweet, salty, sour and fresh.  Packed with nutrients and fiber and incredibly filling.  I ate it with a piece of grilled chicken and ended up eating only the salad and didn't want the chicken.  

The next day I took the rest of it to work and it was a great lunch that stayed with me all day which is exactly what I need when I work around all kinds of food that doesn't bring good nutritional value to me.  

So next time you take a bite - ask yourself...

"DOES THIS BRING ANY VALUE TO MY BODY?"

You will be surprised to see how you feel when you eat it if doesn't.

Thanks for stopping by...Stormy

Mahi Mahi w/Grapefruit Fennel Serrano Vinaigrette

Light and refreshing, roasting some Mahi Mahi and then drizzling a refreshing vinaigrette over it makes this dish stand out.  I wasn't sure if my son would eat it but he loved it!  We served it on top of some seasoned brown rice but you could serve this alone with some other vegetables if you prefer.

If you don't like peppers, please don't omit it from the dressing...Just don't consume the sliced peppers when you eat it and you will be fine.  The Serrano peppers add an element of flavor that brightens this dish so don't leave it out!

Roasted Mahi Mahi

w/Grapefruit, Fennel & Serrano Pepper Vinaigrette

Mahi Mahi Filets

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

Fresh Black Cracked Pepper

Smoked Paprika

1 Serrano Pepper

1/2 Fresh Fennel Root

1 Whole Fresh Grapefruit

1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

1 tbsp Balsamic Pomegranate Vinegar

3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tbsp Honey

Himalayan Pink Salt

Cracked Fresh Black Pepper

Preparation Instructions:

Preheat oven or grill to 400 degrees.

Season Mahi Mahi filet with Himalayan Pink Sea Salt, fresh cracked Black Pepper and Smoked Paprika.   Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil on top.

If cooking on the grill make sure to cook it indirectly.  Place on baking sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.

Slice the Grapefruit in half and squeeze out the juice of one half.  Segment the other half of the Grapefruit.  Transfer to a medium size bowl.

Slice Serrano Peppers thinly keeping seeds for a little heat.  If you don’t prefer the heat, then don’t consume the peppers.  Just use them to flavor the vinaigrette as it adds an element of flavor necessary for this dish without bringing on the heat.  

Thinly slice the Fennel Root and transfer to the bowl.  Add the Vinegars, Honey, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Himalayan Pink Salt and Black Pepper.  Set aside until the Mahi Mahi is finished roasting.

To serve; pour vegetables and vinaigrette over Mahi Mahi while warm and serve with seasoned brown rice as a base.

Enjoy...Stormy

Caramelized Banana Walnut Pancakes & Blackberry Sauce

I'm not a big fan of regular pancakes but was looking for something to eat for breakfast that was quick, satisfying and different than the norm.  I had a few ripe bananas on the counter and thought I would whip up a new recipe of banana pancakes using some almond flour and walnuts.  I had a few blackberries left in the fridge so I made a quick sugar free sauce to go on top.  OMG...These were really, really good!  They don't have much protein but you can make these and then have some protein on the side or a little later for a snack.

What you will need:

Caramelized Banana Walnut Pancakes

2 Ripe Bananas
1 Egg, Organic Free Range

1/4 Cup Almond Flour

2 Tbsp Almond Butter

Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt

Handful Chopped Walnuts

Coconut Oil

Mash the Bananas, Egg and add the Almond Butter.  Mix together well. 

Add the Almond Flour and chopped Walnut, mix to incorporate.

In a small saute pan over medium heat, add Coconut Oil.  Drop approximately 2 tablespoons of batter in the center.  Do not put more than 2 tablespoons or it won't cook properly and you will have a failed pancake.  

I kind of made a small hole in the center so it would cook well on in the middle.  The edges tend to cook faster.  Flip and cook other side.

Blackberry Sauce

1 Cup Blackberries

2 Tbsp Honey

Mash blackberries in a small sauce pan.  Over medium high heat allow berries to cook down and juice up.  Add honey and mix together.  Take off the heat and set aside.

After you make you pancakes top them with the blackberry sauce.

Delicious!...Stormy