Building a Great Salad

I love salads, they are fast, healthy, and virtually limitless. You can be so creative with a salad from your base to your dressing. Some salads ingredients are so awesome a dressing isn't even required. 

I do believe building a good salad is an art though. The difference between a boring house salad and a wow oh my goodness I've died and gone to heaven salad is just the willingness to try new things. I can tend to be a salad snob though and while I love them in theory, I don't often order them when I go out because I tend to get disappointed. Salads shouldn't be boring, but that's often case. Paying $10-$12 for a plate of dullness really upsets me.

While I try really hard not to make multiple meals in my house, sometimes it's unavoidable when the main course for my guys is meat, and I simply don't eat it. 

This is when healthy fast food, like a great salad comes in handy. You can be as intricate as you want and the more ingredients, the more interesting. Balancing the right veggies, proteins, and dressings is a fun process. Don't be afraid to mix raw with cooked. I always like to when possible mix some of my homemade lacto-fermented veggies into my salad to boost flavor and nutrition. 

Some of my favorite added ingredients are: 

Raw Nuts & Seeds

Dates

Goat Cheese

Fermented Veggies (sauerkraut, beets, carrots) 

Organic Sweet Bell Peppers

Organic Grape Tomatoes

Pastured Chicken (if you eat it)

Capers (gluten free of course)

Avocado (my favorite food ever)

Wild Caught Sockeye Salmon

Grass Fed Steak (if you eat it)

Free Range Eggs (hard boiled or fried)

Tempeh

Jicama

Carrots

Beans

Your Green Bases 

Rotate your greens in your salad. For optimal nutrition allow a wide variety of greens to grace your bowl. Try to keep your leafy greens organic to avoid nasty pesticides and GMOs. Try baby spinach, mixed greens, bok choy, arugula, kale, chard, mustard, and collards.

Salad Dressings

Rule number one: do not buy them! They  are toxic messes full of junk not needed. If you go organic, yeah it's a step up, but totally not necessary. Seriously, take 5 minutes to drizzle some quality extra virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemons over your salad with good salt and pepper, your taste buds will dance.

For easy, awesome homemade salad dressings keep the following items on hand to whip up yummy dressings:

Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar

High Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Fresh Organic Lemons/Limes or Lemon/Lime Juice 

Fresh Organic Oranges

Fresh or Dry Organic Spices/Herbs

Organic Maple Syrup

Organic Local Raw Honey

Organic Mustard (gluten free; yellow/Dijon)

Nut Butters

In the picture below I threw together a miso dressing for my salad. I didn't measure (sorry for those of you out there that must measure everything). I'll try to give you approximates. 

2-3 Tsp Braggs ACV

1 Tsp Organic Chickpea Miso Paste

1/2 Tsp Organic Ginger Powder

2 Tsp Organic Maple Syrup

2-3 Tsp Creamy Almond Butter

1 Tbsp Organic Untoasted Sesame Oil

I just mixed everything in that glass bowl and put it on my salad.

As for the salad itself I just pulled things out of the fridge that I had there: organic fermented beets, organic baby spinach, and kelp noodles. What on earth are kelp noodles, you ask. Well simply stated they are a brown based seaweed providing a natural source of iodine. They are a good source of fiber and very filling. So yes they are gluten free!

I probably used 1/4 of the bag. I cut them with kitchen scissors. I bought mine locally at Whole Foods, but you can order them here. I promise they are safe and healthy although as my son has stated they look "plasticy." They take on the flavor of what you put with them. No, they are not fishy tasting. 

I prefer soaking mine in warm/hot water for 5-10 minutes before eating them. I enjoy the texture after soaking them and eating them with my salad. 

I really enjoy the change of pace the noodles provide to my salad regimen. Do you like kelp noodles? Have you tried them? Tell me below.

Helping you to be a good steward of your health!~Marie A. Ligorria, HHC 

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Gluten Free Trail Mix

So after working a double shift at my part time job I came home to a wonderful dinner made by my sweetie. Gorgeous pan cooked wild Keto salmon in coconut oil with a delightful topping of Dijon mustard, paired with lightly sautéed kale, quinoa, and baked sweet potatoes...so happy! 

I was in a rush to get home because we had plans to go to my friend, Crystal's house to play cards. The older I get the more things like invitations to card games, butterflies, and finding my favorite fair trade GF DF chocolate bar with a $0.50 coupon attached excites me...yes, the simple things. 

Anyway, all invited were asked to bring a snack to share. Since these days I can barely seem to keep it together (health counselor being way too honest), I scoured my pantry and fridge for something appropriate to throw nicely together. 

First I scooped a jar full of my homemade sauerkraut that I made a few days ago with my friend, Micah. I wasn't satisfied though. I wanted one more item to bring.

I then got a brainstorm...trail mix! It's easy to make, yummy, and most importantly I had just what needed.

Thought I would share with all of you what I'll be sharing at the card game. Hope you will try it! So this was not measured at all, I simply went by what I saw and looked good.

Ingredients:

Raw sprouted pumpkin seeds

Unsweetened coconut flakes

Raw pecans

Raisins (Even though I don't like them; I'd prefer goji berries, but I'm all out of them)

Equal Exchange Dark Chocolate chips

1 Broken up organic rice cake

Raw almonds

1 1/2 turns of Himalayan Sea Salt 

Tell me if you make this trail mix for your family. I guarantee your kids will love it! 

Helping you to be a good steward of your health!~Marie A. Ligorria 

5 Things To Do With Quinoa (4)

During the "wintery" weather I love nothing more than a wonderful, healing, steamy bowl of soup. Soup when made at home is so very nourishing, economical, and can feed a family for several days. Include lots of local, seasonal veggies, organic herbs and spices, and be sure to use homemade bone stock for all of health benefits.

Soup is really versatile. If you are following a recipe, don't get locked in to ingredients. Explore your kitchen, use what you have, and play. Try a variety of of different flavors together, you may create a masterpiece in a pot. Don't skimp on the flavor with spices either, be generous. Do be careful if you like a little kick in your soup though. Keep in mind spices like cayenne travel far a wide in soup. In that case, a little goes a long way.

A "SOUPER" addition to soup is quinoa. Instead of chicken and rice, do chicken and quinoa or instead of noodles in your mom's minestrone recipe, swap it out for protein rich, gluten free, delicious quinoa! Really you can add it to any soup you like. It creates a really nice body in the soup as well. If you have any leftovers in the fridge, toss it in there. You will enjoy it!

Quinoa,Tomato, & Zucchini Soup Recipe

4 Cups Homemade Organic Chicken or Veggie Stock
1 1/2 Cans of Native Forest Whole Coconut Milk
1 1/2 Jars Bionutrae Organic Strained Tomatoes
4 Zucchini, chopped with skin on
1 Medium Red Onion, chopped
3 Fresh Garlic Cloves, minced
 2-3 Tbsp Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil
1 Tbsp Dried Organic Basil (Please feel free to use fresh if you have it, about 1/4 cup chopped)
1 Tsp Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt
1 Tsp Organic Garlic Granules/Powder
1/4 Fresh Ground Organic Black Pepper
3 Cups Cooked Organic Quinoa

Directions:

 In a large pot saute the zucchini, onion, and garlic in coconut oil.
Once soft, add stock, coconut milk, and tomatoes.
Add the spices and quinoa.
Simmer on low to medium for 30 minutes.
Serve with salad & enjoy! (Truth be told, if you do dairy, this soup screams for a grilled cheese. Try paleo bread with goat cheese and a little fresh spinach...lovely!)