Episode 1-5 Now Airing!

Episodes 1-5 are now airing on Charter cable 95, Verizon FIOS 25 in Long Beach and Signal Hill, and on Time Warner 28 in Lakewood. Click Here for a schedule:

Episode 5 Recipes for Herbs and Spices

Mexican Red Sauce

Portion Size: 1/2 cup
Servings: 3

Ingredients: 

• 3 C of Tomato puree
• 2 C of Chicken Broth
• 1 oz  of Cacao solid (minimum 99%)
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Chili powder
• 1 tsp Dehydrated garlic
• 2 tsp Himalayan Salt
• 2 tsp Red Pepper powder (to your spice likeness)
• 2 tsp Fresh diced oregano
• 1 tsp fresh thyme

Directions: 

Blend all the ingredients in a saucepan with a whisk, bring to a boil, whisk and reduce to a high simmer. Cook for 1 hour to blend flavors. Continue to cook until it reaches the desired thickness.

You can add a smoky paprika or chipotle for a variation to the sauce

Ranch

Dip: Portion Size: 1/4 cup Servings: 5
Dressing: Portion Size: 3 T Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• About 1/8 a cup of minced: oregano, thyme, basil,  & parsley
• 1 tsp of dehydrated garlic
• ½ tsp Himalayan salt
• 1 cup of raw or grass-fed cultured cream (sour cream) or Yogurt

For Dip

• 1/4 C whole cream

For Dressing:

• 1/2 C whole cream

Directions:

Add whole cream to the yogurt or cultured cream until desired consistency is achieved (dressing or dip). Blend minced herbs, garlic and salt. 


The herbs do not have to be exact but a nice equal blend of all 4 herbs is recommended.

Mushroom Cream Sauce

Portion Size: 1/2 cup

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 oz fresh mushrooms
• 1 T onions, chopped fine
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 T butter
• 1 C chicken broth
• 1 C cultured cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Cut the mushrooms into thin slices.
2. Melt butter in large frying pan. 
3. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms and cook until onions are soft.
4. Add chicken broth and boil until slightly thickened while stirring frequently.
5. Reduce heat and stir cream continuously until warm. 
6. Serve over pork, pasta or numerous other dishes.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Portion Size: 1 1/2 cups

Servings: 3

Ingredients:

• 8 oz fresh mushrooms
• 2 T onions, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 T grass-fed butter
• 2 -3 T flour (separated)
• 2 C chicken broth
• 1 C grass-fed or raw cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Cut the mushrooms into slices.
2. Melt butter in large frying pan. 
3. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms and cook until onions are soft.
4. Blend in 2 T of flour with a whisk.
5. Add chicken broth and heat until slightly thickened while stirring frequently with a whisk.
6. Whisk 1 T of flour, salt and pepper into  the cream.
7. Lower heat and add the cream to soup.
8. Heat to thicken while stirring frequently.

PomTom Salsa

Portion Size: 1/2 C

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 medium pomegranate, seeds removed
• 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, blanched and chopped
  
• 1 diced jalapeno (or any hot pepper to your preference)
• 1/4th C minced onion,
• 1/4th C thyme, parsley, cilantro and mint
• 1/8th tsp salt  

Directions:

     Stir all ingredients together.

What I Use  

Food:

Raw Dairy* by Organic Pastures
Raw Cream by Organic Pastures
Grass-fed Dairy by Strauss
Organic Grass-fed Yogurt, European Style and Greek by Strauss
Amino Acids by Braggs
Organic Yellow Mustard by Woodstock
Dry Sherry by Christian Brothers (cheapest available)
Fresh Ginger from Lincoln Spring Street Farms
*milk, cream, yogurt, cheese

Herbs from the garden: 

can be pricey to buy, easy to grow

• Mint
• Parsley
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Basil
• Cilantro

Equipment:

Wooden Muddle
Trimmer by Cutco
Petite Chef Knife by Cutco
Whisk, stainless steel 18/10

Episode 4 Recipes Working with Poultry

Brine

Ingredients:

• Use ½ oz kosher salt (or Himalayan salt) to 2 cups of water.

Directions:

• Boil water and salt to create a solution. Let the solution cool to room temperature or cooler before marinating meat.
• Submerge chicken breast or whole chicken. It might have to be weighted down. Brine meat for about one hour per pound.
• Rinse well so not salt is left behind.
• Brine Chicken breast for no longer than 30-45 minutes. 

Roasted Chicken

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees with roasting pan in the oven

Preparing the Chicken:

1. Rub skin with butter, brush with rosemary (or desired herb), and a heavy coating of salt and pepper. 
2. Seal cavity with stabbed lemon and by tying the legs together.

Roasting:

1. Place chicken in pre-heated pan and bake for 15-25 minutes until skin browns.
2. Lower temperature to 375 degrees and roast until the internal temperature is 165 degrees or legs pull off with ease.
3. Generally it takes about 20 minutes per pound but all stoves, grills are different. It is best to use a thermometer so you do not over or undercook the meat. To use the thermometer, insert into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone.

Bone Broth

Ingredients:

• Leftover chicken (bones, skin,…)
• 2 T vinegar
• 4 Quarts of cold filtered water
• 1 Peeled onion,
• 2-3carrots,
• 1-2 leeks
• 2-3 celery stalks, various
• Herbs: rue, thyme, rosemary

Directions:

1. Soak chicken bones and vegetables in 2 T Vinegar and 4 Quarts cold filtered water for 1 hour. 
2. Bring water to a boil and skim off any foam that comes the top.
3. Reduce to a simmer for 6-36 hours. The longer it cooks the deeper the flavor.
4. Let cool for an hour and then strain through a mesh strainer
5. Store in the 1-2 cup serving sizes, label and freeze. 

Chicken Ginger Dish

Cut Leftover chicken (dark and white meat)into small squares

Ingredients:

• Cooked sprouted short grain brown rice
• 1/8 cup sesame oil
• 6 green onions, sliced to include green tops
• 3 T fresh ginger, grated
• 2 T soy sauce
• 3 T dry sherry
• 1 T sucanat sugar

Directions:

1. Sauté green onions and ginger in sesame oil for 1 minute.
2. Sprinkle onions and ginger over chicken and rice
3. Add soy, sherry, and sugar to the same skillet and bring to boil for 2-3 minutes just as it starts to thicken.
4. Pour over chicken and rice. Let marinate for an hour.

Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• Leftover chicken
• 1/8 C of each: Finely diced dill pickle, onion, and celery
• 1/2 tsp mustard
• 2 T mayonnaise
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 T Braggs Amino Acids

Directions: 

1. Put leftover chicken (dark and white meat) into a food processor and pulse until chicken is shredded.  
2. In a bowl add mayonnaise, mustard, cumin, salt, pepper, and Braggs Amino Acids and whisk until equally blended. 
3. Add chicken, pickle, onion, and celery.  
4. Stir until well mixed.

Rosemary Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 5-6 small purple potatoes*, steamed whole until tender when pricked with a fork
• 2 T finely minced rosemary leaves
• 1/4th C grass-fed butter melted

Directions:

1. Remove rosemary leaves from the stem and dice fine.  This can be a chewy herb so it is important to cut it as fine as possible.  
2. Melt butter on low heat and add the minced rosemary.  
3. Once potatoes are cooked, cut them into fourths and pour Rosemary butter over them.

*Can be substituted for any potato.

Featured Foods:

Food:

Avocado Oil Mayonnaise by Primal Kitchen
Chlorine or Chloramine Free Water (effects nutrients)

Sustainably Grown Produce from the Farmers Market:

• Carrots
• Leeks
• Onion
• Celery
• Jalapeno Pepper
• Root vegetables in season

Stems/Leaves from vegetables prepped during the week

Herbs from the garden:

• Rosemary
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Basil
• Parsley

Chicken

In order of choice:
Pasture Raised Chicken
Organic Chicken, fed a natural diet outside
Organic Chicken
Avoid Chicken: that has been given hormones or antibiotics, contained in confined spaces, kept indoors and fed an unnatural diet.   It is best to feed animals their natural diet so they develop a full and balanced nutrient profile.

What they eat:
Chickens (omnivores): insects, grass, seeds and compostable food
Cows (herbivores): a variety of fresh grasses, alfalfa
Pigs (omnivores): leaves and grasses, roots, fruits, flowers, insects,
dead carcasses and strip bark from trees

Equipment:

Oven or grill proof leave in meat thermometer
Nitrile food grade disposable gloves
Mesh strainer, 18/10 stainless steel
Meat mallet by Norpro
Designated and labeled raw meat:
Cutting board
Scissors
Metal bakers rack, 18/10 stainless steel
Micro plane grater by Accutec

Episode 3 Recipes for Fats & Spices

Ghee

Portions: 12
Serving Size: 1 Tablespoon

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter

Directions: 

1. Cut the butter into cubes and place in the saucepan and melt over medium heat.
2. Once melted, reduce to a simmer for about 10-15 minutes (this will vary based on how hot your stove is). The butter will foam, then bubble, then seem to almost stop bubbling and then foam again. The second foam is when the ghee is done. The melted butter should be bright gold in color and there should be milk solids at the bottom of the pan.
3. Let it cool slightly for 2-3 minutes
4. Slowly pour the butter through a wire mesh strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth.

Ghee will last up to a month at room temperature or even longer in the refrigerator.

 

Spicy Roasted Cauliflower

Portions: 2.25
Serving Size: 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp Curry powder
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom
• 1 tsp dehydrated garlic
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan Salt*
• 1/4 tsp Tellicherry black pepper*
• 2-3 Tablespoons of high heat oil (melted ghee, naturally refined olive oil, avocado oil)
• 1 Cauliflower cleaned and cut into equal sized florets (see video for more details)

Directions: 

1. Thoroughly blend spices together by whisking them in a large bowl.
2. Slowly add oil to the spice blend while whisking to create a thick dressing. 
3. Add the cauliflower florets to the spice oil mixture and mix so that each floret is well covered. 
4. Bake in the oven at 475 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes. 

* can be substituted for your preferred salt or pepper

Chimayo Salt Blend

Ingredients: 

• 1 tsp ground Coffee
• ½ tsp Cacao powder
• ½ tsp Himalayan salt, coarse
• ¾ tsp Chimayo pepper (or your preferred red pepper)

Put all ingredients in a salt grinder and shake until evenly distributed.

Leeks, Swiss Chard and Farro

 

Ingredients: 

• 1 Leek
• 5-6 leaves of Swiss Chard (or preferred greens)
• 1 cup fermented Farro*
• 3 Cups of filtered water
• 2 Tablespoons Ghee
• 2 Tablespoons Dry Sherry
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan Salt*
• 1/4 tsp Tellicherry black pepper

Directions for Cooking Farro:

1. Add Farro to 3 cups of water, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer
2. Cook uncovered until tender about 40 minutes

Directions for Cooking Vegetables:

1. Cut Leek in half lengthwise and slice each half into small pieces. 
2. Remove Swiss Chard leaves from the main stems and cut into bite size pieces.
3. Sautée leeks, for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add Swiss chard and cook for 1 minute,
5. Add salt, pepper and sherry, which you want to cook off quickly. Ghee, sherry and leek can be used on numerous vegetables dishes.

Sautée:  to cook quickly on high heat with minimal oil

*Soak Farro in 3 cups of warm water (97 degrees) and 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar for 24-36 hours.  Rinse before cooking.

What I Use:

Food:

Grass-fed butter by Kerry Gold
Avocado Oil by Chosen Foods
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, first cold press by California Olive
Virgin Coconut oil by Santa Maria (cold pressed)
Dry Sherry by Christian Brothers (cheapest available)
Organic Cumin
Organic Curry
Organic Dehydrated garlic
Organic Cardamom jar
Himalayan Sea Salt by HimalaSalt
Organic Tellicherry pepper by Indus Organics
White Quinoa in bulk
 Farro Berries by Hayden Flour Mills

Sustainably Grown Produce from the Farmers Market:

Cauliflower
Leeks
Swiss Chard

Equipment:

Paring Knife by Cutco
Whisk, stainless steel 18/10
Mesh Strainers, stainless steel 18/10
Miron Glass Spice Jars by Infinity Jars
USA Organic Cotton Cheesecloth Reusable Strainer Cloth by EcoPeaceful

Episode 2 Recipes for Grains & Beans

Blanching Tomatoes

Directions:

1. Fill a pot with enough water to cover the tomatoes. Put a lid on the pot (boils quicker, uses less energy and reduces evaporation) and bring the water to a boil.
2. Add Tomatoes, Cover and boil 1-2 minutes
3. Remove with slotted Spoon or mesh strainer

Tomato Sauce

Portion Size: 1/2 cup

Servings: 3

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup finely diced onion
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 3-4 medium size blanched heirloom tomatoes

Directions:

1. Remove the hard core from the blanched tomatoes and chop by hand or pulse in food processor to create a sauce with small pieces of tomatoes
2. Slowly cook the diced onion and garlic in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil on low heat in a frying pan (the tomatoes will cook down to a thicker sauce faster in a frying pan)
3. Add tomatoes when onion and garlic are soft
4. Cook to thicken sauce on low for 15-25 minutes

Depending on how you are using the sauce, you may want to strain the sauce in a mesh strainer to reduce the watery content.  Simply pour the sauce in a mesh strainer and let it sit for about an hour. You can use the watery part to cook grains in or add to veggie drink.

Kale & Carrots

Portion Size: 1 cup

Servings: about 2

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup finely diced onion
• 1 T olive oil or 1 T Ghee
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 6-8 leaves of Kale, de-stemmed* and chopped to desired thickness**
• 2 Purple Carrots
• 1/8 tsp Himalayan salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Cook diced onion and garlic in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil or ghee over medium heat
2. Add Carrots and cook for 10 minutes (or less depending on size of carrot chops--smaller cuts will cook faster than larger cuts), keeping and eye and stirring every few minutes
3. Add Kale, lower heat to low, and cover for 5 minutes (or less depends on stove-top--you do not want to overcook the Kale), Stir after about 3 minutes

*Fold kale in half and cut along the stem or hold the stem between your finger and thumb and slide your hand down the stem toward the top of the leaf.

** Desired thickness: If you like the taste of kale, you can tear it into bit size pieces. If you are unsure or prefer the taste to be subtle, cut the kale in very small pieces about quarter size.

Lime/ Cilantro can be added to any Grain or Beans:

Lightly coat grains with extra virgin olive oil, add fresh squeezed lime-juice* and minced cilantro* to taste.

* can be substituted with other herbs or citrus such as:

• lemon and basil
• lemon and thyme
• orange and oregano
• your own creative combination

Preparing Brown Rice

Directions:

• Soak brown rice in de-chlorinated water for 24 hours at room temperature without changing the water. 
• Reserve 10% of the soaking liquid (should keep for a long time in the fridge). 
• Discard the rest of the soaking liquid; cook the rice in bone nourishing broth.The next time you make brown rice, use the same procedure as above, but add the soaking liquid you reserved from the last batch to the rest of the soaking water.
• Repeat the cycle. The process will gradually improve until 96% or more of the phytic acid is degraded at 24 hours.

Source: Stephan Guyenet http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/04/new-way-to-soak-brown-rice.html

Preparation of Quinoa

Ingredients: 

• Soak 1 C of Quinoa for 12-14 hours at room temperature to reduce 60-77% of the phytic acid

          OR

• Ferment  Quinoa by soaking with whey 16-18 hours at 86 degrees to reduce 82-88% of the physic acid

Directions:

1. After soaking, rinse grains well
2. Cook quinoa in 1 cup of broth on medium low.  
3. Cover until it comes to a low simmer.  
4. Uncover reduce heat and cook slowly for 20-30 minutes.  When the top layer of liquid is no longer visible, cover, reduce heat and cook for 8-10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.  Turn heat off and let sit for 5 minutes.

Source: http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/living-with-phytic-acid/

What I Use:

Food:

Grains/Beans in bulk:

Sprouted Short Grain Brown Rice
         This rice is already sprouted so the phytic acid has been reduced for you!
Quinoa, red
Garbanzo (chickpeas) Beans
Kombu Seaweed by Eden

Sustainably Grown Produce from the Urban Farm & Farmers Market:

Kale, Lacinato Kale (scientific name)
      at market known as Tuscan, Black, Dinosaur or Italian kale
Purple carrots
Heirloom Tomatoes

Equipment:

Store grains in containers: that do not leech, are air tight and protected from the light.  Lead free ceramic or lightproof glass that seal airtight work great.
Strawberry Huller
Miron Glass (ultraviolet glass) canisters by Infinity Jars

First Episode! Salad Dressing and Produce Washing

I hope you all enjoyed the very first episode! In my blog, I will detail the recipes I'm cooking as well as what I'm using to make it. Please comment your thoughts!

Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

• 3 Part Olive oil
• 1-2 Parts Fig Balsamic* (per taste preference)
• 1 Garlic clove
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Using a garlic press, squeeze a fresh clove of garlic into the olive oil and let it sit for at least 1 hour (and up to 24 hours)
2. Add salt, pepper and fig balsamic, whisk until oil and vinegar blend as one

* Add variation to dressings by using different vinegars, or seasonal acidic fruits in
place of the fig balsamic


* Example: 3 T olive oil, 1.5 T balsamic, and 1 garlic clove, yields 4 T of dressing. Typically you need 1.5-2T of dressing for 4 cups of salad (2 servings)

Produce Washing Solution

Ingredients: 

• 3 parts filtered water
• 1 part apple cider vinegar

Washing Directions:

1. Dip smooth produce (apple, peppers) in washing solution
2. Soak produce with rough skin or curly leaves (Kale, cantaloupe) for 2 minutes
3. Rinse well
4. Dry on lint free towels (ie. Flour sack towels)
5. Once dry, store in sealed glass containers in the refrigerator*

Do Not pre-wash mushrooms, or pasture raised eggs (eggs have a natural protection)

*Tomatoes should be stored at room temperature. Refrigerating them makes them mushy.

What I Use

Food:

Organic Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar by Braggs

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, first cold press by California Olive Ranch

Himalayan Sea Salt by HimalaSalt

Organic Tellicherry Pepper by Indus Organics

Organic Garlic by Traders Joe’s

Toscano Black Pepper Cheese by Traders Joe’s

Sustainably Grown Produce from the Farmers Market:

Fig Balsamic by Enfuso

Eggs by Gama Farms (farmers market), Vital Farms (store)

Lettuce Mixes by Maggie’s Farm

Cleaning:

Scour Off Heavy Duty Paste by Shaklee

Germ Off Disinfecting Wipes by Shaklee

Super Concentrated Home Soap by LifeTree

Equipment:

Knives:

    Trimmer by Cutco

    Petite Chef Knife by Cutco

Garlic Press: be sure it comes with a cleaning tool or one built-in

Salad Spinner by OXO

Mesh Garlic Bag, cleaned and repurposed as a non-stick scrubber

Organic Flour Sack Towels by Williams-Sonoma

Glass Storage by Pyrex, Anchor, Gelo, Glasslock…

Silicone Bowl Covers by Charles Viancin

Parchment Paper by If you Care