Category: Recipes

Garlic Green Beans

Recipe: Garlic Green Beans

Here’s a great, clean side dish that can accompany a variety of foods.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 lb fresh green beans, trimmed

  • 1 tsp garlic, minced (about 1 clove)

  • 1/4 tsp aleppo (or chili flakes)

  • 1 tsp EVOO

  • 3 tsp Ghee (or clarified full fat butter)

  • ~1 lemon, zest

  • Kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper to taste

Method:

  • Blanch the green beans in boiling water with salt for 2 min

  • Drain and submerge in an ice bath to shock it and stop the cooking process

  • Heat the EVOO and Ghee in a saute pan on medium heat

  • Add the garlic and aleppo, saute until fragrant, 15-30 sec. Do not burn the garlic.

  • Add in the blanched green beans, and toss to coat evenly with the garlic and oil/butter

  • Add kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

  • Put the beans on a plate and grate some fresh lemon zest over top

  • Enjoy!

Ginger-Soy Salmon w/ Sesame Cauliflower and Spinach

Ingredients: Marinade

  • ¼ cup rice wine vinegar

  • 1/8 cup water

  • 3 TBS low sodium soy sauce

  • 1 tsp sesame oil (preferably toasted)

  • 1 lime, juiced

  • 2 tsp ginger paste

  • 2 Wild Salmon filets, 4-5 oz

Ingredients: Sauce

  • ½ tsp ginger paste

  • ½ tsp fresh garlic, minced

  • ½ TBS shallots or red onion, minced

  • 1/8 c cilantro, chopped

Ingredients: Cauli/Spinach

  • 1 TBS shallots or red onion, minced

  • 2 tsp fresh garlic, minced

  • 1 head cauliflower, cut in florets, lightly steamed or blanched

  • 5-6 oz baby spinach

  • 1 TBS sesame seeds

Method:

  • Make marinade by combining all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth

  • Arrange the salmon filets in a baking dish and cover with half the marinade

  • Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Save the rest of the marinade for the sauce

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

  • Pull the salmon from the marinade to a baking dish. Discard the marinade

  • Bake the salmon for 12-15 minutes, maybe longer depending on your oven. You want the filets to flake with a fork and be at least 140 degrees F

  • For the sauce, put the reserved marinade in a pan and add the onion, garlic, and ginger

  • Simmer about 5 minutes, or until garlic and onions are soft

  • Add cilantro, simmer another minute, remove from heat

  • For the Cauli/Spinach, heat a little canola, or cooking oil of your choice in a sauté pan. Add the garlic and shallots and shake them around. Add in the blanched or steamed cauliflower and shake it around til it gets hot. Last, add the spinach and cook until it just begins to wilt. Add the sesame seeds

  • Put the cauli/spinach on the plates and top with the salmon. Spoon the sauce over the salmon and garnish with a squirt of lemon juice, a little chives, and perhaps some minced bell or hot peppers

  • Enjoy!

**Tip: Salt depends on how salty you soy sauce is. Taste before adding more salt. I also like to add just a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes whenever I sauté garlic, just because.

Chamomile Turmeric and Ginger Tea

Try this for a good nights sleep!

Ingredients:

  • One bag chamomile tea
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger, or 1 tsp *fresh grated ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric, or 1/2 tsp *fresh ground turmeric
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1/2 TBS honey
  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon, or 1 stick **whole cinnamon

Method:

  • Steep chamomile in hot water 3-5 minutes
  • Remove tea bag and stir in almond milk, ground ginger, ground turmeric, honey and ground cinnamon
  • Enjoy!

*If using fresh grated ginger and turmeric, add them in while you steep the tea. Wrap the shavings in cheesecloth and tie it off, or pour the tea through a strainer before drinking.

**If using stick cinnamon, steep with the tea. You can use it to stir your tea!

Roasted Sweet Pepper Sauce

This is a good-for-you basic sauce that can be tweaked to complement just about any dish you want to make. It can be made in large batches and frozen in small portions to be pulled out as needed for something delicious and healthy in a pinch.

This is a versatile sauce that can be used alone as a cold dip for veggies or used as an ingredient for a vinaigrette or aioli. It could be turned into a pasta sauce and used as a marinade.

Try adding other ingredients and play around with it! Make it yours!

Ingredients:

  • 2 qts roasted mini sweet peppers
  • 1/2 cup red onions, diced
  • 2 tsp raw garlic, minced (3-4 cloves)
  • 2 tsp canola oil
  • 1/4 tsp Allepo pepper or chili flakes
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric, ground
  • 3/8 tsp lemongrass powder
  • 1/8 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 TBS kosher salt

 

Method:

  • Roast the sweet peppers in a high heat oven til they blister a little. Make enough to end up with 2 qts cooked peppers.
  • Run the peppers through a blender
  • Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions, garlic, and Allepo
  • Cook for a few minutes til the onions are soft
  • Add in the roasted pepper puree
  • Mix it all together well and heat it up
  • Add in the rest of the ingredients, mix well, simmer for about 10 minutes
  • Pass the mixture through a food mill or fine sieve (it will be silky smooth)
  • Enjoy hot or cold!

Ginger Paste

Making your own ginger paste is a great way to save money and always have a quick way to use fresh ginger in your cooking. It’s easy too.

  • Peel and rough chop fresh ginger
  • Puree in a blender with enough water to make it spin
  • Strain out the water
  • Refrigerate or freeze the ginger paste

**I like to portion mine in 1/2 tsp portions on a flat tray, freeze them, then put them in a ziplock and put them back in the freezer. That way I can pull out exactly what I need when I need it.

Malt Aioli

Malt vinegar aioli is wonderfully versatile sauce that is simple and easy to make, and can be used on its own or as an ingredient in many other things!

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 c malt vinegar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp dijon
  • 2 c canola oil

Method:

  • Put all ingredients in a food processor except canola oil
  • Turn on food processor and blend well
  • Slowly add canola oil in a slow drizzle so it emulsifies
  • Taste for seasoning, and enjoy!

Champagne Vinaigrette

This is a very versatile dressing that goes with just about anything, and can also be used as a marinade for chicken and fish! It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Champagne Vinaigrette – Yields ~2cups

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup Champagne Vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cups EVOO
  • 1.5 tsp Dijon
  • 1.5 TBS Raw Honey
  • 1.5 oz fresh parsley, chopped
  • S&P to taste

Method:

  • Put all the ingredients in a bowl except for the EVOO and S&P
  • Slowly drizzle in the EVOO while whisking as fast as you can so the oil emulsifies with everything else
  • You can also do it in a food processor. The important thing is to drizzle slowly, and mix fast. If you use a food processor, consider adding the parsley afterwards so it doesn’t get chopped too much
  • Add S&P to desired taste

*If using as a marinade for fish, consider adding some lemon zest.

Papaya Ginger Smoothie

Why not enjoy a post workout smoothie that will help replace lost nutrients?

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  • Cut up papaya, about 1.5 cups, into chunks. Chill for about an hour, or freeze.
  • Small handful of ice (the chilled papaya and ice will make the smoothie nice and thick)
  • Peel and chop a small piece of fresh ginger (about 2 teaspoons)
  • A half a cup of non-fat plain Greek Yogurt
  • Lemon juice (half a lemon)
  • One sprig of fresh mint, leaves torn off
  • Throw all of this in a blender and blend to your desired consistency
  • Enjoy!

 

Green Smoothie for Meditation

This recipe contains bananas, spinach, and avocado which can help boost concentration, which can help with meditation, which can lead to inner peace, which can improve your life…

Ingredients:

  • 1 avocado
  • 1 banana
  • 1/2 cup spinach
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 6 cubes of ice
  • 3 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

  • Put all ingredients in a blender
  • Blend until smooth
  • Enjoy!