Serves 6

The Salad ingredients:

1/2 head of Napa Cabbage, shredded
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken or seafood
2 bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange) cut into matchsticks
2 large carrots cut into matchsticks
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 cup mung bean sprouts
enoki or other fresh sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 cup roasted macadamia nuts, finely chopped
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves

In a large bowl toss the shredded cabbage in some of the dressing,. Arrange the cabbage on a large platter. Scatter the cooked chicken or seafood on top of the cabbage. Artistically arrange the prepared bell peppers, carrots, green onions, and tomatoes around the edge of the salad, and scatter the mung bean sprouts on top. Whisk the dressing and spoon some more evenly over top.
Garnish the salad with 1/2 cup of the chopped macadamias and the cilantro.

Spicy Dressing:

3/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 cup organic cold pressed sesame oil
1/4 cup Nama Shoyu soy sauce of San-J wheat free tamari (if you want this dressing to be gluten free, make sure you choose the second option)
Juice of one lime
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons microplaned fresh or frozen ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced

In a bowl whisk together all the dressing ingredients. This dressing keeps really well in the refrigerator.

Recipe from Pauli Halstead’s wonderful cookbook: Cuisine for Whole Health

Plus click here for a recent interview with Pauli on The Nourishing Gourmet!

Ingredients:

1 lb. stew beef (try US Wellness Meats, or any pasture fed only beef)

1 large tomato

6-8 crimini mushrooms

1 onion

1 red pepper

Unfiltered olive oil

Butter

Garlic, Sea salt, Basil

Instructions:

Cut beef into small pieces (small enough to fit in a soupspoon)

Put in bowl, add olive oil, stir well, leave for 1 hour

(Can be refrigerated overnight after the 1 hour; remove 1 hour before cooking)

Cut up all vegetables, save tomatoes separately

Heat butter in heavy pan (to Medium, no hotter), add beef, stir til mostly cooked

Add vegetables (except tomatoes), stir gently

(Add butter if things look too dry – the beauty of mushrooms is how much fat they soak up)

Stir in minced garlic, 1-2 t.

Put a lid on it (keeps steam in), cook low for a half hour (minimum) or up to a couple of hours, BUT:

Add water so it becomes thinner than stew, thicker than soup (=Stoup)

(Quantity – 3-5 cups; use your judgment; it can always be evaporated off)

Near to mealtime, add fresh tomato

Stir in crushed dried Basil (or fresh if you have it), 1+ tsp.

If there is not enough to fill 5 bowls as a main course with salad, add water

If there is too much broth and it looks weak, simmer — GENTLY! — til there is less

Add Sea salt and serve it up.  Enjoy!

(with thanks again to Betsy Davenport!)

Stoup = stew + soup

Pumpkin seeds

Sunflower seeds

Sesame seeds

Chopped nuts (not too many)

Be sure the seeds have all been roasted to make them a bit crisp.

Mix them in whatever proportion you like

I put about:

~1 ½ cups pumpkin seeds

~1 cup sunflower seeds

~a fistful of sesame seeds

In a sauté pan, melt butter and coconut oil in equal amounts

(Quantity?  enough to coat the seeds once you put them in)

Pour in seeds, being sure they are coated with FAT.

Pour back into the bowl and salt/season right away so it will stick

While fat is still warm.

Possible seasonings can include something like curry, or cinnamon, cardamom, ginger…whatever.

Put mixture in a container with tight lid, an SHAKE to mix well.  Let cool at either air temperature or in fridge.

Makes a great snack!

(with thanks to Betsy Davenport)

(I hope these aren’t my only legacy)

The following recipe is for a snack many of my clients have just fallen in love with.  It’s easy to make and utterly delicious.  It’s also very satisfying for both the taste buds and the appetite.  Should you find yourself hungry between meals and need “a little something” I think you’ll agree that these are wonderful.

You’ll need:

• One regular-sized jar of almond butter (or any other nut butter—other than peanut or cashew butter—that you prefer).  Stir surface oil in well!
• 5-10 oz (an approximation) of organic nuts (almonds, pecans, macadamias, brazil nuts, pistachio’s…etc, preferably pre-soaked and dried).  Use a food processor to grind or chop to desired consistency/”chunkiness”.
• Handful of organic sesame seeds and/or chia seeds (great source of mucilaginous fiber to help “keep that train rolling”)
• Organic shredded coconut (as much or as little as you like)
• Alcohol-free (glycerin-based) vanilla extract, or powdered/crushed vanilla beans
• One full brick (room temperature) of KerryGold butter (decidedly a “key” ingredient)

Optional ingredients:

• Organic coconut flour (Bob’s Red Mill makes a good one) -  add for additional yummy coconut flavor and/or better binding
• Organic coconut butter…(you have to taste this stuff to believe it!)
• Stevia (for added sweetness, if needed or desired)
• Bee pollen (why not? Good source of flavinoids)
• Organic cacao nibs (Dagoba has quality ones) – adds chocolaty flavor without adding sugar.  Also, cacao nibs have roughly 2X the antioxidant content of green tea!
• Lately I’ve taken to adding a scoop of Garden Of Life “Super Seed” (fiber supplement) for some added great texture and flavor
• Whatever floats your boat (and happens to be low carb)

Blend the above in a bowl thoroughly, then spoon out into little “balls” onto wax paper on a plate or tray.  Refrigerate for a good hour, or until these firm up.

If you want to take them with you, you might consider placing them in a small portable cooler.  You could also individually wrap these in wax paper to secure them (if they can’t be refrigerated) so that they don’t get all over everything if they melt.

Prepare your taste buds to be dazzled!

For all you raw meat lovers out there…or soon to be.

FYI–the photo is not mine but is an approximation of what the final dish will look like.  This carpaccio can be used as a gourmet appetizer or as a simple raw food meal guaranteed to curl your toes with delight.  Even if you have never had raw meat (or have been afraid to try it) you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to love.  Raw meat is actually easier to digest and contains many enzymes, nutrients and hydrophylic colloids lacking in cooked meat.  –Good stuff, Maynard.

You’ll need:

• One 100% grass-fed/finished eye-of-round roast (I get mine from US Wellness Meats), frozen solid for two weeks and thawed for about 1 day (still semi-frozen…this is key)
• An electric meat slicer (this really works best) OR a very sharp knife and steady hand
• A few thinly sliced rounds of organic sweet onion
• Organic capers (small)
• Organic and (preferably) unfiltered extra virgin olive oil (@1/4 cup or to taste)
• Organic and aged balsamic vinegar (@1/8 cup or to taste)
• A quality organic prepared mustard (about 1 TB or to taste)
• Organic freshly cracked black pepper and/or garlic pepper to taste
• A handful of shredded organic parmesan cheese or shredded sheeps milk gouda
• A small handful (or more) of micro-greens (optional…but a lovely addition)
• Sliced avocado (an excellent garnish and nice extra source of healthy fat–again, optional but lovely)

Slice several paper thin slices of semi-frozen eye-of-round roast and arrange on a large plate or platter.

Arrange sliced onions and capers over the top

Season with garlic pepper, pinch of Celtic sea salt and/or cracked black pepper

Blend olive oil, vinegar and mustard together, whisking with a fork until blended, then pour evenly over the meat

Sprinkle cheese (optional) over the top and add microgreens

Add sliced avocado on the side and season, if desired

Admire…

Serve, savor and devour (and prepare to become thoroughly addicted)

Finger food made healthy and easy!

OK…so this isn’t EXACTLY a “recipe”, per se.

I created this simple but tasty and festive meal from a few items I happened to have sitting in my refrigerator at home and enjoyed it on my patio with a friend.   I didn’t feel like cooking and didn’t want to spend the money eating out.  This can be done with leftovers or whatever assorted delectable items you might have in your fridge or garden.

Here’s some of what’s in the picture:

• Sliced organic roast beef
• Sliced rounds of organic Italian sausage
• Sliced avocado with garlic pepper seasoning
• Slices of raw milk goat’s cheese
• Organic additive and nitrate-free salami
• Fresh, organic sugar snap peas
• Organic cherry tomatoes
• Pickled peppers
• Organic prepared mustard
• Homemade cultured beet/cabbage/burdock kraut
• Greek olives

And for dessert:

• Fresh organic blueberries
• Fresh organic Rainier cherries

One could also add a raw veggie plate or small salad to this…I happened not to have any handy that evening, which I would have otherwise preferred to add.

It was wonderful to enjoy this in small bites over a relaxed evening outdoors.  A real treat–and inexpensive to-boot.

I highly recommend it.

This “Southern-style” recipe was created by Portland’s own Betsy Davenport, a regular and more than welcome contributor to the recipe section of this blog.

You’ll never miss the hush puppies! 

You’ll need:

• US Wellness Meats brand beef bacon, cooked and chopped into bits

• Swiss Chard, washed in cold water, barely shaken off – Cut into 2″ pieces, more or less

In frying sauté pan, heat up bacon fat

Put bacon pieces in, til warm

Add chard and stir around til more than wilted (note: chard is tougher than spinach and needs more cooking to be delicious)

Spoon onto plates

Garnish with fresh grated Romano cheese (can also use parmesan, goat cheese, feta – anything hard)