Easy & Delicious Salmon Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 ounces of wild caught roasted salmon, canned salmon, or sushi grade salmon.

• 1 cup of shredded carrots (lightly steamed them for easier digestion) or pickled diced carrots

• 1 cup of diced cucumbers

• 8-10 Green olives sliced in quarters

• 2 stalks of green onion (only the green part)

• 4 romaine lettuce

• ½ of avocado, sliced

Dressing

• 2 T extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or avocado oil (avocado oil is less favorable than EVOO and goes better with seasoned rice vinegar)

• 1 T lemon juice or seasoned rice vinegar

• A dash to 1/8 t sea salt (canned salmon may already be salted enough, so adjust accordingly - meaning add the minimum amount).

Additional stuffing or side entree for wraps

1 Cup of vermicelli noodles, cooked and drained

1 cup of sushi rice

Roasted potatoes with vinaigrette

Directions

1. In a medium size bowl, place salmon in it

2. With a fork smash your canned salmon so that it pulls apart (with sushi grade salmon or roasted salmon, you may want to use a sharp knife to dice it into 1/4 inch pieces).

3. Add carrots, cucumbers, olives to salmon to mix together.

4. In a small bowl, mixed dressing ingredients together.

5. Pour dressing over mixed ingredients and mixed together.

6. If you would like to add vermicelli noodles or sushi to this dish, you can add ¼ cup of noodles onto each lettuce wrap or leave it as side dish.

7. Divide mixed ingredients into four parts and place each part into a lettuce.

8. Top each lettuce wrap with green onions and two slices of avocado.

As an appetizer, this recipe serves 4 people.  As a main dish, this recipe serves 1-2.

Pressured Cooked Chicken Soup

3 lbs of chicken thighs

5-6 cups of bone broth or water

2 medium sized carrots or 1.5 cups of it, chopped

2 celery sticks or 2 cups of it, chopped

1/4 cup onions, chopped*

1/4lb or 1 cup of green beans, chopped

3 crushed and peeled cloves of garlic*

2 bay leaves

boquet garni

A bush of parsley

3 t of sea salt

apple cider vinegar (ACV) or lemon juice 

1. Salt the chicken and place on pan in low medium heat.  Braised Chicken until skin is golden.  
2. Add bone broth or water until chicken is covered in it. Then add bay leaves, bouquet garni, parsley, and garlic. 
3. Pressure cook chicken at high for about 8-10 minutes. Then turn off the heat and allow to cool so that you can remove the cover.
4. After removing the cover, remove meat from pot to cool down.  Remove bouquet garni and parsley or sieve it out.  
5. Add the carrots, green beans, onions to liquid soup.
6. Pull chicken apart and add back to the liquid in the pot.
7. Recover the pressure cooker.
8. Cook the mixture at medium heat at low pressure for another 1 minutes .  Allow to cool if you like vegetables with a soft texture or immediately cool the pressure cooker by pouring water on your pressure cooker or use the pressure release valve on your instant pot - depending on the type of pressure cooker you use, and uncover ASAP for crunchy vegetables.  
9. I like to add lemon juice or ACV to each serving size of this dish. Normally I use a 1/2 lemon or a teaspoon of ACV for each serving of 4 ounces of meat in each soup. 

This dish will make about 6 serving sizes as a main course. 

*If you are on a low FODMAP diet, take this ingredient out of the recipe or remove it after cooking.  You can used infused olive oil with garlic or onion for flavoring as well.  

Simple Same Day Sable Fish Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb of Sable fish or Black Cod

1 tbsp of turmeric

1 tspn sea salt

2 tbsp of sage leaves

1 teaspoon of melted (liquid form) coconut oil

2 tbsp of olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Spread melted coconut oil on the baking pan, cast iron, or heavy stainless steel pan.  

Place fish onto cooking sheet.  

Spread turmeric powder and sea salt over fish.  

Place fish in the oven for 30 minutes.

While fish is cooking,  lightly saute and crisp sage with olive oil in small pan.  

When 30 minutes are up, remove fish from heat and garnish it with the sauteed sage.  

Beef Heart With Easy Greens

Ingredients

1 tbsp sliced green onions

2 tbsp of wakame

1.5 tbsp of duck fat,  tallow, or whatever one you prefer.  

1/2 lb of sliced beef heart

Dash of sea salt

Allow fat to melt evenly over medium sized saucepan

Place the slices on saucepan for 1-2 minutes on each side.  Beef heart steak is pretty lean, so full attention while cooking them is need, since this type of meat cooks fast. 

Remove the steaks from the pan.  

Add the green onions to the leftover fat juice; sautéing them for less than 10 seconds.  Turn the heat off and pour the green onions over the steak.  

Add the wakame to the dish, which will slowly absorb the juices and expand. If you would like them less crunchy, add them to the green onions when you add them to the pan.  

Pureed Sweet Potatoes

Pureed Sweet Potatoes

Serves 8-9 people

3-4 Cleaned Sweet Potatoes (you can use other potatoes, like Yukon, here too)

4-5 tbsp Coconut Oil (duck fat works here too)  

1/4 tsp of Sea Salt

1. Set-up the pressure Cooker as a steamer.  If you don't have a steamer or pressure cooker, boil the sweet potatoes for 30 minutes.  

2. Place 3-4 medium sized sweet potatoes in the pressure cooker (I prefer Hannah or Japanese Sweet Potatoes).  

3. Steam at high pressure for about 20 minutes.

4. Turn off pressure cooker.

5. Let the pressure cooker cooker cool off.  

6. Remove lid and peel off the skin of the sweet potatoes. If potatoes are too hot, run them through cold water or place them to the side and allow them to cool for another 10 minutes.  Then peel the skin off the sweet potatoes.

7. In a saucepan, place coconut oil and allow it to melt to a liquid.  Turn off the heat.

8. Place peeled potatoes in the saucepan.  

9. Use potato masher to cream coconut oil with potatoes.  

10. Once the mixture feels and looks like a purée, add sea salt to taste.  

Recover faster with this homemade drink!

When I am experiencing symptoms of fatigue, soreness, joint pain, and/or muscular cramps, I sometimes make this recovery drink. I am a supporter of a whole food diet and lifestyle for stress management, but sometimes I just need extra help. Thank goodness for supplements that can fill in the gaps when I successfully come crashing down. 

After my personal decision to stop using NSAIDs a couple of years ago, I explored different options in supporting how I recover from overexercise, muscular cramps, headaches and joint pain.  I found this homemade tonic to work most of the times.  From experience, I find it works as well as NSAIDS (ex. ibruprofen). By the way, there is a ton of research that supports my experience.  

This drink contains different amino acids (building blocks for protein) and a ton of micronutrients (ex. antioxidants). As always, use this drink as a supplement to a well-balanced diet and lifestyle that is appropriate for you! Supplements do not replace eating whole foods and lifestyle habits the same way.  

As a mindful tip, I encourage you to notice how you feel before you drink this mixture and then how you feel an hour afterwards.  For me, I start to feel better in a matter of minutes after drinking this concoction.  I have played around with the ratios according to how I feel.  Feel free to adjust the ratios to work for you too!

Ingredients

• 1 -2 tsp of magnesium citrate; what is recommended by Natural Calm 
• 1-2 scoops of grass-fed collagen peptides (I use Vital Proteins)
• ½ a lemon squeezed for its juice or 2 slices of lemon
• 1 cup of cold or warm water, your favorite smoothie, or juice. 

Optional Ingredients

• 1 tsp of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp of freshly grated ginger
• Feel free to use the Liver Support Shot recipe from my blog and add this part to the drink.

Directions

Blend the ingredients in a large glass or blender.  The magnesium may bubble up, especially when you add the collagen peptides. Make sure you use a glass that has enough clearance so the magnesium or collagen peptides don't spill over.  

Why I use these ingredients?

Magnesium

• It is the 2nd most common mineral in cells.
• 60% of it is found in bones.
• It co-works with calcium and phosphorus.
• One of its main function is to activate enzymes (a catalyst for cellular chemical functions).
• It maintains electrical charges in cell, especially in muscles and nerves.
• It is involved in energy production (Kreb cycle), protein formation, and cellular replication.
• When low, mental confusion, irritability, weakness, and heart disturbances can occur.
• Issues in nerve conduction and muscle contraction, including muscle cramping, headaches, loss of appetite, insomnia, and predisposition to stress can occur when deficient.
• Food sources of magnesium include seaweed (highest in kelp), nuts, liver, whole grains, tofu, and leafy greens. 

Collagen Peptides

• It contains amino acids that are building blocks for making proteins. Proteins create body structures (muscle, hair, tendons, and ligaments), enzymes, hormones, and DNA.
• One of the amino acids collagen peptides contain is called glycine, an amino acid that helps make glutathione. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant and detoxifier.  You can find glutathione in foods such as asparagus, avocados, and walnuts.            

Vitamin C

• It is important for wound healing, healthy gums, and can reduce the ease of bruising.
• It plays an important role in collagen production. 
• It can boost immunity. 
• It is found in peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and citrus fruits.

Turmeric powder

• It is anti-inflammatory.
• Curcumin, what makes turmeric yellow, has been shown in research studies to work similiarly to drugs such as hydrocortisone, phenylbutazone, and OTC anti-inflammatory products like ibuprofen, without the toxic side-effects.  Some research has shown that 400 mg of curcumin may have the same impact as  400 mg of ibuprofen on subjects with arthritis.
• Curcumin has been associated with improvements in morning stiffness, walking time, and joint swelling for patients with RA. 
• It may inhibit colon cancer in some cases. 
• It may help in the prevention of heart disease; reducing the amount of cholesterol and the oxidation of cholesterol.
• It may help with the prevention and progression of Alzheimer and MS.

Fresh ginger

• It can sooth gastrointestinal distress via antioxidants; can inhibit the formation of inflammatory compounds.
• It contains gingerols that are anti-inflammatory, which may reduce pain in people with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis by inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines. 
• 75% of patients with arthritis and 100% of patients with muscular discomfort experience relief in pain or swelling (with the dosage of 500-1,000 mg/day or more).
• Fresh ginger may be more effective since it contains active enzymes.  

Reference

Murray, M. Pizzorno, J. Pizzorno, Lara. (2005). The Encyclopedia Of Healing Foods. New York, New York: Atria Books. Murray, M. Pizzorno, J. Pizzorno, Lara. The Encyclopedia Of Healing Foods.

6/30/16 Retrieved from http://philschatz.com/biology-book/contents/m44441.html

Spiced Milk

5 cups of Water

4 tbsp Grated Ginger

1 tbsp Turmeric

1 cup of Coconut Cream

1 tsp Cinnamon or as much as you want

Optional: Honey is optional. I am use to not adding extra sugar to my drinks.  You can add a tsp of honey for each cup of serving.  

1. Boil the water, ginger, and turmeric for 1/2 hour in a medium size pot for thirty minutes.
2. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes.  
3. Add the coconut cream to a high powered blender with the boiled ingredients, cinnamon, and honey if desired.  Blend all of the ingredients until they are completely combined.
4. Enjoy!

Tostones!

Tostones with cinnamon powder.

I have eaten plantains before and actually couldn’t eat them very well when I first started AIP (a paleo based elimination diet called the autoimmunepaleo protocol).  As I started to heal, I now have a higher threshold for eating starches - a big part of what makes green plantains.  Adding a lot of coconut oil seems to help my body metabolize them better, so I use coconut oil to cook these delicious things.  

Tostones

3 unripe peeled plantains

6 tbsp coconut oil

1/4 tsp Sea salt

wide mouth mason jar.  

1. Cut plantains into 1 inch chips.  

2. Place small sauce pan over medium heat.

3. Place the coconut oil in a saucepan and allow it to melt and spread evenly across the saucepan.

3. Place slices of plantains over the saucepan.

4. Cook the chips until they are golden on each side (about 4-5 minutes)

5. Remove them from the heat.  

6.  Place one chip between the bottom of the mason jar and over a cutting board.  Lightly press the fried chip under the mason jar until it slightly flattens. Repeat with the rest of the fried chips.  The chips will be thinner and wider.  

8. Place the flatten chips back onto the saucepan. 

9. When the chips are golden all over or to your preference, remove them from the saucepan and place them in a bowl covered with a paper towel. 

11. Once you are finished, dash sea salt over the chips and mix them so that all of the chips are covered with salt.

12. They are ready to be served alone or with toppings (ex. guacamoles, liver pate, or other dressings).

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse layered between tostones.  

I love adding fruit to this recipe. It goes well with tostones, berries, and more.  

With tostones, I feel like I am almost eating a tiramisu cake - obviously without the grains, dairy, and eggs. If you want to use less sugar, feel free to not add the honey part when eating them with tostones. Riped plantains are super sweet to me, so they may be just enough sweetness for you - especially if you do not normally eat added sugars. 

If you don't like the taste of almonds, replace the extract with more vanilla or just leave this part out.  Feel free to experiment with other extracts (ex. orange extract) too.  

Lastly, chocolate can be a powerful energy shifter.  The Aztec soldiers used it as a source of energy.  If you know you are a slow phase I metabolizer (read my other article on liver detoxification), you may want be careful with how much chocolate you eat late at night, since it can impact the quality of your sleep.   

Ingredients

2 riped avocados

1/2 cup of raw cacao powder

1/4 cup of creamed coconut

1/4 cup of filtered water

1/4 cup of honey

4 tsp of cinnamon

1 tsp of almond extract

1 tsp of vanilla extract

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients in a high powered blender or food processor.  Enjoy!  

Pulled Meat Of Your Dreams!

My all-time favorite pressure cooked meat is picnic from pork or lamb.  It is also my favorite meat to use for batch cooking. I typically cook between 2 - 5 lb. of shoulder meat at a time. 

The first version of this recipe was inspired by Nom Nom Paleo, who got me into to using an instant pot for the first time.  Her slow cooker recipe didn't quite cook the meat the way I desired (I think there was a mistake in the publication I read), so I tried pressure cooking the ingredients through her pressure cooking recipe. I found her pressure cooking recipe through an instant pot support group on Facebook. Yep, Facebook was a lifesaver in this case.  Anyhow, you can add bacon like Michelle, from Nom Nom Paleo, does if bacon makes you happy.  I am working on some sensitivities to glutamate, what gives the umami flavor in bacon (why I didn't add bacon to this recipe).

Ingredients

5 lbs of shoulder - my favorite is picnic.  

5 cloves of crushed garlic

2 tsp of turmeric powder

1-2 tsp of sea salt * 

1 cup of bone broth or filtered water

Directions

1. Slice pockets in the shoulder and place the pieces of crushed garlic in them.  
2. Place the in a meat in a pressure cooker (I use an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker)
3. Dash the sea salt over the meat
4. Add the bone broth.
5. Cover the pressure cooker
6. Cook all of the ingredients at high pressure for 90 minutes. 
7. When the pressure cooker has cooled off, open it.  Pull out the meat pieces onto a plate, allowing it to cool off before pulling it.  
8. Add the pulled meat back into the pressure cooker so that you can mix it with the leftover sauce.  
9. I save the excess meat and sauce in mason jars and put them in the freezer for future use.  
10. Enjoy!

*My favorite sea salt for this recipe is Murray's River Flake or Alaea Red Hawaiian Sea Salt. 

Pressure Cooked Salmon

I truly believe that high quality ingredients don't need a lot of work to make a tasty meal.  This recipe is part of my standard diet, since it is so easy to make and taste delicious!  

Recipe will produce about 4 servings.

Ingredients

1 lb. of wild caught salmon

3 crushed garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon Sea salt

4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Use Citrus Dressing as a topping with parsley to your liking.  

Directions

Place all of the ingredients, with the exception of Citrus Dressing and parsley,  in a pressure cooker at high for 15 minutes to fully cook it. If you would like rarer version, you can cook the salmon for 10 minutes.  My preference is a 10-minute timing.  After the cooking time, remove the salmon from the pressure cooker after it has cooled enough for it to be safe for removal.  Place the salmon on a plate and enjoy it with your citrus dressing and parsley.  The combination of flavors, nutrition, and easy to follow steps will have you repeating this recipe quite often. 

Citrus Dressing

Citrus Dressing

1 cup of olive oil

1/2 tsp of sea salt or to taste

2 freshly squeezed lemons

1/2 clove of crushed garlic (if you wait 10 minutes, you will enjoy the peak activation  of allicin in garlic)

Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium size bowl or mason jar. You can store your leftovers in the refrigerator.  When you plan to use dressing again, allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 10-15 minutes, since olive oil will harden in the refrigerator.  

Play with the ratios. Everybody's taste buds are different, so feel free to add more or less of each ingredient.