Raw salad with hemp seeds

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It's amazing how flavorful and delicious a raw salad can be! I believe there are two key factors that make a salad, with just a few ingredients, burst with flavor:

1) The produce should be organic and preferably locally grown. The further away the produce travels, the older it is. Thus less flavor and less nutrition. I have also noticed that produce that isn't pre-packaged (lettuce or carrots for example) tastes much more fresh and flavorful. I always grab loose lettuce and spinach now for salads.

2) I know this is probably obvious, but well cleaned produce tastes better too. Proper washing and cleaning of produce is essential to help avoid food related illness. My mom gave me a great tip for washing lettuce and it really works well. Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the lettuce to the water. With your hands, swirl the lettuce around in the water for about 30 seconds, then remove lettuce from the water and place in a colander and rinse with cold water. I always notice dirt in the water bowl! Repeat this process a second time to thoroughly clean the lettuce. For the rest of your produce definitely use a brush to scrub everything well. Even foods with peels I wash because I don't want cross contamination on the knife.

You can add whatever you want to a salad. I usually include mixed greens, sliced red bell peppers, celery and cucumbers.

I got so super excited because last week I found hemp seeds at my local biomarkt (organic supermarket), so I've been adding those to my salads too. They are an excellent source of plant based omega 3's and also are a great source of protein! They don't have a very strong flavor. I'd say they taste like very, very mild sunflower seeds. I love how crunchy they are! Amazon sells them in bulk for a decent price. Well a decent price compared to what I can buy them for in Germany.

Anyway I throw all these ingredients together and then I just make a simple dressing using olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Though the olive oil and balsamic vinegar aren't considered "raw" by most raw foodies, I don't mind because I'm not doing a 100% raw food diet.  I'm tellin' ya, eating like this really is delicious and satisfying!

 

Chicken Fajita Salad w/Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Pin It Now! Happy New Year!

We had quite the celebration this year.  Pajamas, food, wii and movies.  Party animals to the core!  haha.  New Year's eve is much more tame these days, but we still had a really good time.  I haven't laughed so hard in a long time because Little Wright and I were playing Just Dance 2 on the wii.  I have zero dancing ability.  Seriously.  None.  But it was hilarious to see her shake her booty and for a few moments I felt like one of the Pussy Cat Dolls.

Midnight was crazy because the entire country erupts in fireworks.  They go all out here too.  None of that pansy stuff they sell back home. 

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Now that the fireworks are gone and the holiday season has officially come and gone, it's time to cleanse and focus.  A few days ago I posted about my New Year's Resolution Part I.  The other part is physical health.  I've done a lot of research on several different diets and what I have concluded is most have a commonality which is low carb, cut out the sugar, cut out processed foods, cut out white starches and reduce your caloric intake.  I want a lifestyle change.  Diets work great, but for me right now I just want to eat healthy and follow the guidelines listed above.  Also I am going to cut out red wine :(  But only until I reach my goal and am ready to maintain.

So most of the recipes I share from now on will be lower in carbs, lower in fat and lower in calories.  I will allow myself cheat days of course and am sure to share those recipes as well :)

Today I had a craving for chicken fajitas and since I don't want to use tortillas I decided a salad would be perfect.  I looked online for a cilantro lime dressing and that's how the chicken fajita salad with cilantro lime dressing was born!  The dressing does use honey, but it would be worth experimenting with a sugar substitute or even without the honest altogether for a more tangy flavor and no sugar.

This is my FAVORITE salad.  I will definitely make this over and over.  It was deelishus!!!

• 1 pound Chicken Breasts


• 1 bag Pre-washed Greens


• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil


• 1 Tablespoon Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice


• ½ teaspoons Cumin


• ½ teaspoons Chili Powder


• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder


• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder


• ½ teaspoons Sea Salt


• 1-¼ teaspoon Black Pepper


• 1 whole Onion, Sliced Into Thin Strips


• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced


• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Into Thin Strips


• 1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced Into Thin Strips


• FOR THE DRESSING:


• 3 cloves Garlic


• ¼ cups Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice


• 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar


• ¼ cups Cilantro Leaves


• ¼ cups Honey


• ½ cups Olive Oil


• Salt And Pepper, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Directions for salad

1) In a bowl mix together the olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.

2) Place chicken breasts in a bowl and pour the marinade over the chicken. Set aside while preparing the rest of the meal.

3) Heat a cast iron skillet to medium high heat. Add about 1 tablespoon or so of olive oil to the pan. Let the pan heat up for a minute or two.

4) Once the cast iron is heated, sautee the peppers and onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 min.

5) Remove vegetables to a plate and set aside.

6) Add chicken to the cast iron. Cook 6-8 min per side or until cooked through. Remove chicken to platter and let cool. Remove cast iron from heat.

7) Add bell peppers and onions back to the cast iron and coat with the pan drippings.

Once chicken has cooled, slice chicken breasts and mix with the pepper mixture.

Now make the dressing. (note the dressing can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge)

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette Dressing
Place garlic, lime juice, honey, balsamic vinegar, salt and the cilantro leaves in a food processor; pulse a few times to blend. Turn the food processor or blender on, and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until incorporated into the dressing. Season to taste with salt before serving.

For extra deliciousness add some shredded cheese and sliced avocado to the salad.

* Recipe for the chicken fajitas was inspired by and adapted from http://www.food.com/recipe/steak-or-chicken-fajitas-63786

The cilantro lime vinaigrette recipe was inspired and adapted from http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/cilantro-lime-dressing/Detail.aspx

Enjoy!

B

Grilled Tilapia with Mango Salsa

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One of the aspects of living a more balanced and harmonious life is health.  Mr. Wright has been nagging at me for weeks to cook healthy meals.  It's not that I'm against healthy.  It's just that I don't want to always eat healthy.  I'm pregnant and have desires!  I can't eat good cheese.  I can't drink wine.  I can't eat deli meat.  I don't want to have chocolate and ciabatta bread take from me either damnit!  BUT as I was reading about Feng Shui and realizing more and more how  I want to incorporate the philosophy into my life, I decided nutrition and health is a huge factor of feeling balanced.  If I keep junk in my home (chips, cookies, etc) then I'm going to continue to feed my body junk.  And it's not going to be possible for me to feel my absolute best eating that crap.  I am not going cold turkey though.  I'm just going to be making smartER and healthiER choices. 

So along came this recipe I found on allrecipes.com.  I followed it for the most part.  I didn't grill the fish.  Instead I sauteed it.  Using the pan drippings from the tilapia, Mr. Wright added about 1/4 cup butter to the pan then sauteed some shrimp.  To the mango salsa I added a teaspoon ish of honey and let it sit while the tilapia marinated. At first I just served the mango salsa on the fish with lettuce.  Mr. Wright cut up the fish and shrimp and turned it into more of a wrap.  Boy oh boy was it delicious.  I was surprised at how full it made me feel.  I guess I just figured it would be light, but not filling.  It was filling.  And it was great!  The best part of this meal is how good it actually made me feel.  I had so much energy the rest of the night and wasn't too drained to do the dishes or clean up like I usually am.  I think this recipe is a must try for the simplicity and health factors.

Here's the recipe as it appears on allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil


• 1 tablespoon lemon juice


• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley


• 1 clove garlic, minced


• 1 teaspoon dried basil


• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 2 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets


•  


• 1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced


• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced


• 2 tablespoons minced red onion


• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro


• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced


• 2 tablespoons lime juice


• 1 tablespoon lemon juice


• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, parsley, garlic, basil, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the tilapia fillets, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.


2. Prepare the mango salsa by combining the mango, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper in a bowl. Add the lime juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until ready to serve.


3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil grate.


4. Remove the tilapia from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Grill the fillets until the fish is no longer translucent in the center, and flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Serve the tilapia topped with mango salsa.

Grilled Pork with Grape & Arugula Salad

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Holy yumminess.  Again another healthy recipe that totally surprised me.  I didn't feel like arugula since it has a stronger taste so I opted for bagged Italian lettuce.  Also used feta cheese instead of blue cheese.  Great recipe from foodnetwork.

Ingredients

• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped


• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar


• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme


• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper


• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil


• 4 5-ounce boneless pork chops


• 3/4 cup red seedless grapes, halved


• 4 heaping cups baby arugula


• 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola or other blue cheese

Directions

Combine the shallot, vinegar, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a few drops and adding the rest in a steady stream.

Put the pork chops in a shallow dish and season all over with salt. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme and 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Coat the pork and set aside to marinate for 5 minutes.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the pork until cooked through but still moist, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Add the grapes and arugula to the remaining dressing and toss to coat. Transfer the pork chops to a serving platter or individual plates; top with the salad and sprinkle with the gorgonzola.