My Favorite Salmon!

I LOVE this amazing king salmon from Vital Choice.  These filets make for such a quick, easy, nutritious dinner.  I pre-heated my cast iron pan in the oven at 450 degrees. The fish was thawed in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes while I steamed and sliced these beets for the salad.   I coated the fish in a couple drops of olive oil and caraway and fennel seeds, then, turning the broiler on to 500 degrees with the rack at the highest setting, I quickly retrieved the hot pan and {sizzle!} popped the filet into it and under the broiler for a scant 3 minutes.  The salmon was perfectly medium-rare to my liking.  You could cook it a little longer if you like or leave it in the pan on the counter for a bit afterward since it'll continue to cook.  I squeezed a little lemon on the fish and salad -- 23 minutes from freezer to plate, and there was even some waiting time in there where I could have made more food if needed.

I never mention companies or products that I haven't tried, and I don't see the point in mentioning anything that doesn't knock my socks off and make life better for #spoonies like me.  I am happy to endorse Vital Choice because it has been a huge part of my wellness these last few years (and the products are delicious!). I consider my flash-frozen fish to be a valuable part of my "pantry staples" -- healthy food that is always on hand so I don't have to resort to junk food in a moment of weakness. By ordering in large quantities, I take advantage of better pricing, and also qualify for free shipping.  More than insurance against junk food, though, this fish is better than what you'd find at fine restaurants!  I'm not exaggerating.

My doctor recommended Vital Choice to me several years ago and the quality of the products and the customer service are exemplary. Wild-caught and frozen on the dock, the freshness and nutrition of these filets are superior to fish that has never been frozen.  The fish is sustainably sourced and Vital Choice's website is an excellent resource for recipes and cooking tutorials. Referrals from these links on "A Midlife Regeneration" will help to support this blog.  I thank you in advance and hope you enjoy your fish!

Another Great Recipe

"Moroccan Chicken" from Mickey Trescott's and Angie Alt's Autoimmune Wellness Handbook was a big hit, even with my husband, who's not so careful about what he eats.  Piquant and salty meets warm and sweet in this dish.  I had mine over a pile of greens and he had his over pasta. 

Oh Snap!

Here's another one.  This smoothie tastes exactly like a ginger snap!  Where my Carrot Cake-, and Snickerdoodle Smoothies have tastes reminiscent of those popular sweets, this one is an exact match, while still providing a nutritional punch.  Seriously -- no hyperbole.  When I talk about a ginger snap, I mean the kind with the spicy, natural ginger and the deep malty base from molasses.  The kind of cookie that leaves a little warmth on your tongue after you've swallowed it.  That's what this smoothie delivers.

I normally eschew sugar in all its forms, but a little organic molasses is key to achieving the right flavor here.  It's important to remember that molasses has a much lower glycemic load than other sugars, and studies have shown that its sugars are delivered more slowly through digestion.  Also keep in mind that the whole raw vegetables, and addition of MCT oil and other healthy fats in this recipe further slow the delivery of sugars.  Obviously individual health concerns such as diabetes or cancer warrant consultation with a doctor before adding sugar of any kind, if you avoid it for health reasons.  I also won't vouch for the ketogenic effect of this smoothie, since I'm not a doctor, so measure your ketones if you track that sort of thing, but the benefits of a tablespoon of molasses may outweigh some of the detriments.  In addition to the better glycemic delivery of molasses, it provides many crucial nutrients such as potassium, copper, B vitamins (particularly B6), selenium, magnesium, calcium and iron.  Many spoonies suffer from anemia in addition to their other chronic illnesses.  Some of us don't adequately absorb B vitamins and iron, which are crucial for building red blood cells.  Molasses may help with that.  As you Wahls Warriors already know, nutrients from whole, organic foods are assimilated much more efficiently than from supplements.  This is now, officially, my favorite smoothie of all time!  Here's the recipe:

Ginger Snap Smoothie

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
1 granny smith apple
2 large carrots
1 Tbsp organic molasses
1 tsp MCT oil
1-2 Tbsp almond butter
black pepper 1 grind
cinnamon 1 shake
nutmeg 1 shake
dry ginger 1 shake
ice
2 cups water
Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix.
Makes about 3 cups, and counts as 2 Wahls' veggie portions.

As with all smoothies, the amounts of these ingredients are customizable.  You could use less of the fresh and dry gingers if you're not a rabid fan of the spice the way I am, but I do think that including both types of ginger, at least a little of each, is important for the depth of flavor.  With the sweetness of the carrots, I intuitively knew that this would be sweeter than my usual smoothies once I added the molasses.  It was exactly to my taste.  If you want a sweeter smoothie, the addition of one pitted date would be lovely.  I hope you enjoy this smoothie as much as I did!

Carrot Cake Smoothie

I realize the offerings here of late are smoothie-heavy, and I'll feature more actual food soon.  Recently I've made a shift with my veggie/fruit consumption, and I have smoothies to thank. Adding one or two smoothies a day makes it so much easier to reach my goal of 9 cups of veggies a day.  Real food delivers nutrients so much more effectively and palpably than supplements.  Since I'm learning so much about what works for me, I'm putting more energy and time into the blender, so solid food seems less inspiring right now.

Guys, this one's the best yet!  Seriously dessert-worthy, it's a great way to start the day.


Carrot Cake Smoothie

2 large carrots
1 granny smith apple
2 Tbsp almond butter
1/4 c coconut milk
2 Tbsp raisins
Nutmeg to taste
Black pepper - a tiny bit
1-2 cups water/ice

I only used a cup of water here, and the smoothie turned out to be the consistency of pudding.  You may want to add more water for a liquidy result.  With no added sugar, this was sweet from the raisins and carrots already.

Almond Butter and "Jelly" Smoothie!

After a week of striving for the Wahls' 9 cups of veggies and fruits per day -- I'm sold!  On the days I was able to get close to 9, I felt amazing and many of my persistent symptoms (skin pain and numbness, fatigue, brain fog) began to disappear again.  Other autoimmune skin issues disappeared instantly, my facial skin improved freakishly fast (it seems tighter and pores are smaller, tone is more even).  Since I doubt healing is only skin deep, I'm hoping the benefits to the CNS are even more dramatic.  A couple of days I ran out of time and was only able to squeeze in 6 veg servings and the old symptoms began coming right back again.  Immediate palpable evidence is so rare as we spoonies strive to find what's best to include in our healing arsenals.  What a treat to have anecdotal evidence to match Dr. Wahls' clinical results.

Since I adore freshly made juice, and Dr. Wahls didn't recommend it in The Wahls' Protocol because of the glycemic index spike it could cause, that was one of the reasons I stopped pursuing the Protocol last year.  I never thought I'd like smoothies as an alternative to juice, because of the texture.  Now, looking back, I wonder why I was so hard-headed about this.  It seems crazy that I didn't even try veggie smoothies as a way to up my veg doses for the Protocol.  It's so much easier to eat more vegetables when some of the servings are pre-digested in smoothie form.  I've had the Vitamix all along, and am now really putting it to good use -- every day!

I've really enjoyed the recipes in Dr. Wahls' new book, but this one is my original recipe.  It was amazing, and provided at least 3 cups of my required servings, along with wonderful healthy fats and protein.

Almond Butter and Jelly Smoothie
1 c red organic seedless grapes
1/2 cucumber, peeled unless organic
2 organic purple carrots, unpeeled
2 Tbsp. organic almond butter
1 Tbsp. MCT oil
1 c filtered water/ice
a shake of nutmeg
a shake of powdered ginger
freshly ground black pepper - 1 grind

This recipe made about 3 servings, and this is how I portioned them.  I initially put the mason pint jar in the fridge and I sipped it later on in the morning.  So I had all three servings -- sort of a brunch situation.  The smoothie was substantial enough that I needed no additional breakfast, and had no problems with nausea from supplements and medications.  If I don't have enough on my stomach I do sometimes get a little ill when I take my pills.  Not in this case!

I feel so happy to have found one piece of my wellness puzzle!

Easter + Grinch Soup

Easter was wonderful. We had our son home from college, it was just the four of us in our pajamas all day watching movies together. Since dinner was going to be heavier, I decided to make something light and health-giving to offset the morning's sugar-binge (I didn't have sugar, just the rest of them). This is my Green Soup, which changes according to whatever I have on hand. Here is how I made it this time:

Green Soup (Grinch Soup)
1 bunch kale, stems removed, torn into pieces
1 bunch collard greens, stems removed, torn into pieces
2 medium onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1/2 c. cooked rice
3 Tbsp. coconut oil
4 Tbsp. cooking sherry
a few shakes of chipotle powder
a few shakes of nutmeg
salt and pepper
purified water
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Over medium-low heat, saute the onions in the coconut oil. Allow the garlic to sit on the cutting board while the onions slowly caramelize. Dr. Wahls says this allows the sulfur to stabilize so that less of it is lost in the cooking process. Once the onions are translucent and browned on the edges, stir in the garlic, greens and rice. turn the heat up to medium and cover the greens, stirring occasionally until they reduce in volume. Once they have cooked down, add enough water to just cover them. Simmer until the greens and rice have softened. Stir in the sherry. Season with chipotle powder (careful - a little goes a long way), nutmeg (you can add plenty of this, which goes nicely with a creamy soup) and salt and pepper to taste. Using an immersion blender or other blender, blend the soup until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasonings and finish by stirring in the olive oil.

For dinner we grilled filets mignon, roasted asparagus and risotto:

This is Alicia Silverstone's Risotto with Leeks and Spring Peas from her The Kind Diet. Everyone loved it and I made the leftovers into a Chicken and Cheese Casserole for the dairy-eaters in my home to eat the next day. It's self-explanatory: the risotto + cooked chicken + shredded cheese, reheated and melted all together. It was also a hit.

I decided that Grinch Soup made sense for Easter because the Grinch is associated with Christmas which is all about Jesus so, by the transitive property . . .

Better the Next Day

After a very long sleep, I did finally wake up feeling better and not so sluggish. To recoup lost ground, I started the day with some nova salmon with capers, pepper and lemon with a side of 1 cup of cold, sauteed ruby chard leftovers. It was delicious.

For lunch I enjoyed 2 cups of spring onions, mushrooms, red bell peppers, and collard greens quickly sauteed over a cup of rice noodles.

Dinner was amazing -- I was inspired by this recipe: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/oxtail_stew/print/, but I was confused about the roasting of some of the veggies, so I just put them all into the crock pot after their initial saute. The stew was delicious and rich, but I bet the separate roasted veggies would have made it even better because of the high fat content of the meat. Once I realized my mistake, I recovered by inventing a recipe of my own which filled the place of the veggies I didn't roast. Here it is:

Mashed Cauliflower with Sauteed Shallots
1 head organic cauliflower, cut into large chunks
2 shallots, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. Earth Balance
4 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut milk coffee creamer
garlic salt to taste -- I used about 3/4 teaspoon

Boil the cauliflower for 15 minutes, making sure all parts of the florets are submerged. Meanwhile, saute the shallots in the olive oil over medium-low heat, until translucent. In a large bowl, put the Earth balance. Drain the cauliflower and pour it on top of the Earth Balance so it melts. Begin mashing the cauliflower into the "butter" with a pastry cutter or ricer, or a large sturdy fork. Add the shallots and olive oil and mash more. When the texture is becoming homogeneous (some small lumps are fine) incorporate the coconut coffee creamer. Finally, season with garlic salt. 

{You Wahls Protocol afficianados will notice an error in my invention. After I created this recipe I learned about the carageenan that is in the coffee creamer - YIKES - I've since ordered a case of the good coconut milk and will use it next time -- I'm still learning!}

The mashed cauliflower was so delicious and creamy, yet light enough to offset the rich stew. This bowlful gave me a cup and a half of cauliflower and a cup of stew veggies. On the side, we also had this:

It's Alicia Silverstone's recipe from The Kind Diet: Steamed Baby Bok Choy with Ume Plum Vinaigrette. It's self-explanatory, except I didn't even make a vinaigrette. I just put a drop of Ume vinegar on each piece and drizzled a little olive oil over all. I only steamed these lovelies for four minutes. I ate a cup's worth, which brings my Wednesday tally to . . .  6 and a half cups! It's not 9, but it's getting better.