Homemade Mayonnaise

By:  Maria

Mayonnaise is  probably one of the most popular condiments used by most people.  Problem is, many of the purchased mayonnaise has soybean oil, sugar and emulsifiers that have a negative impact on our health - and, yes, this includes the "lite" versions of mayonnaise.

No need to worry, you can still enjoy your tuna/egg salads or deviled eggs by making your own mayonnaise.  It's easier than you think and fun to make different types of mayonnaise.

Use regular olive oil for this recipe.  The virgin and extra virgin oil gives the mayonnaise an almost tangy/bitter taste that most people do not like.  Regular olive oil works best.

This recipe will make about 2 cups of mayonnaise that can be put in a covered container and placed in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.  The best part?  With quality ingredients, the impact on your health is no longer negative.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

2 cups olive oil (not virgin, not extra virgin - just plain ol' olive oil)

2 tablespoon vinegar (I use coconut, but you can use apple cider as well!)

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon (or less) sea salt

In a blender or food processor, add the eggs, vinegar, and mustard and blend until well mixed (30-40 secs.). 

Leaving the blender running, remove plug on top of blender cover (or just use opening on food processor)and add olive oil SLOWLY...SLOWLY!! I cannot emphasize enough that SLOW is KEY!  A thin slow drizzle is best in order to get the mixture to thicken.

Remember the old adage: "Patience is a virtue"??
You need to have PATIENCE here and not dump a bunch of olive oil quickly simply because you want to finish fast.  Patience pays off!  When the mixture is thickened (about halfway through blending process), you can then begin to add olive oil a bit quicker, but still not dumping the rest of the olive oil fast.  Once all the olive oil is in and the mayonnaise is thickened, turn blender off and add salt.  Blend again for a few seconds.

Here's where you can let your creative juices flow...

You can add just about any spice to your mayonnaise to make a tasty spread, sauce or dip.  Garlic, basil, dill, onion, hot sauce, curry, smoked paprika, cayenne.  Go crazy! 

Balsamic Infused Strawberry Salad

By:  Maria

I.

Love.

Summer.

 

Sure, I like the warm temps, sunny skies and tropical vacations. That's not the real reason why I love summer, though.

 

All the best flavors come out during the summer months.

Fresh fruits, vegetables and the combination thereof, are unmistakably the foods I crave during the hot summer months!

This is one of those recipes - nothing speaks more of summer-flavors than a fresh strawberry salad!

Easy to make with minimal ingredients. You can even add leftover chicken for a complete meal.

 

Ingredients:

Balsamic vinegar

Olive oil

Strawberries, sliced (rinsed properly!)

Macadamia nuts (or any variety of nut - you can even toast for added flavor)

Baby Spinach (rinsed properly!)

Ok, here is where you are going to have to experiment all by yourself (you can do it). The portions are entirely up to you. I will give you the how-to:

 

 

Mix together balsamic and olive oil in bowl or ziploc until thoroughly combined. Add sliced strawberries and mix until completely covered and let sit for up to an hour in fridge (the longer they marinate in the mixture, the more the strawberry flavors emerge!).

Dump baby spinach in a large serving platter or individual plates and top with marinated strawberries and nuts.

Eat.

The end.

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Stuffed w/ Pesto

By:  Maria

If you're like me, whenever you see "bacon wrapped", you dive in! These little morsels are tasty as an appetizer or part of a full-blown meal, easy to make and portable. With a scant 4 ingredients, you can prepare these fast - cooked outside on the grill or, if the weather prevents grilling, in the oven.

Ingredients
8 chicken tenders (flattened to 1/4" thickness and cut in two)
3 oz basil pesto
8 julienne slices sun-dried tomato in olive oil
8 slices bacon

Dab 1/2 teaspoon (more or less) of pesto on top of each chicken tender. Top with one slice of sun-dried tomato. Fold or roll chicken to enclose pesto. Wrap each roll with one piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Grill until bacon is brown and crispy on both sides (or, bake in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until done).

Enjoy!

Chocolate Coconut Bark

By:  Maria



So....you are keeping up with your fitness goals by working out weekly and consistently. You are also keeping up with your nutrition goals by eliminating processed foods and trying to eliminate or at least reduce sugar from your diet, right??  One of the struggles you seem to encounter is that dreaded sweet tooth - it causes you to cave into temptation by eating cookies, donuts or even chocolate!  It can literally undo all the nutrition progress you made in a week!

Unfortunately, there are consequences to falling into that trap and I don't have to explain what those consequences entail (suffice it to say that it can literally undo any nutrition progress made in one day!) .I have a great solution that will not only eliminate the guilt factor, but would you believe me when I tell you that you will not only enjoy the treat, but that there are some health benefits to the ingredients in the recipe?! Yep...you will thank me.

Before you sprint out the door to find these ingredients, take some time to read a recent post on the health benefits of coconut products here so you will understand why coconut products should be staples in your kitchen.

One more thing:

This recipe - although a better alternative to purchased chocolate bars or cookies - contains nearly 1250 calories! Moderation is key with these!

3-4 Tbsp organic coconut oil
1/4 cup organic cocoa 1/2 cups ground nuts (macadamia, almonds, hazelnuts)

3/4 cups dried unsweetened shredded coconut (I like to toast in oven first)

1 Tbsp raw, unprocessed honey (optional - I use dates in place of honey as well)

In a microwave, melt coconut oil.Add cocoa, nuts and shredded coconuts and mix well.

Form into a square by dumping into a small baking sheet and spread to about a 1/4" thickness.

Refrigerate or freeze until hard.

Break off into desired pieces.

Enjoy (and you're welcome)!

Get Your Z's

   By:  Maria

Part of living a healthy lifestyle is taking care of your body with not only real food, but also by providing it with a good amount of rest...specifically sleep.

We all know how important sleep is in terms of restorative properties and we have all experienced what can happen when we get too little sleep (or even - gasp - skip a sleep cycle!). What many do not realize, however, is just how important sleep is for athletic performance and health goals. One of the first questions I ask when an athlete asks about no progress or even regression of fitness goals, hitting a weight loss plateau or not achieving desired body composition; is "How much sleep are you getting each night?".

Lack of quality sleep raises the stress hormone cortisol which can interfere with cell and tissue growth, immune function and not only impede weight loss, but can actually cause fat deposition in the abdominal area (i.e., having trouble getting rid of abdominal fat? Check your sleep cycles!).

So how much sleep is a good amount of sleep? Some people say they can "get by" on 4 hours of sleep a night (yikes!), but do some research on that and you will find that folks that are sleep deprived (yes, 4 hours a sleep each night would fall under that category), die younger. You do not re-set your brain and body to "get used to" less sleep, you end up getting sick and having a ton of health issues. Ok, you can "get by" temporarily, but it comes at a high cost.

8-9 hours of sleep is optimal for cell and tissue growth, immune function, athletic performance, and body composition progress. Anything less than that and we are looking at interference of said functions. Some do fine on 8 hours, others require that extra hour of uninterrupted sleep. If you're getting less than those numbers, make a concerted effort to increase your sleep cycle in order to improve health and fitness goals.

If you are in the category of sleep-deprived, read the following helpful tips to get you on track in acquiring some restorative zzzzz's.

1. Be consistent. The body loves routine when it comes to sleep, so go to bed and wake up at the same time - even on weekends. You will be surprised once you get on a good schedule, how well your body functions and how efficiently the body clock will respond.

2. Avoid stimulants like coffee and alcohol prior to going to bed. If at all possible, limit those stimulants after 4-6pm.

3. Create a "cave-like" sleeping environment. No, I'm not talking about sleeping under rocks. This is simple: limit noise, light and music in your room by turning off computers, tv's, having darkened curtains or shades that block outside lights, even covering or turning your alarm clock away from your bed to minimize any amount of light. You would be amazed how a well-darkened and quiet room is conducive to good sleep. Really, I mean pitch-black...like inside a cave.

4. Surprisingly to many, having solid and good nutrition reverses sleep problems. Get rid of processed foods, sugars and fried foods and you will be amazed how this improves quality sleep.

Do not underestimate the power of sleep. Make it a priority in your life as you do your fitness and nutrition. Before you know it, you will wonder why you ever needed an alarm clock!

Sweet dreams!

Barbecue Sauce Sans HFCS/Sugar

By:  Maria

Summer is here and many of us are enjoying the ease of the grill for our meals.

One of the most common condiments/sauces when grilling is a flavorful barbecue sauce. Many people rely on the ease and convenience of bottled bbq sauce. The health implications, however, far outweigh the convenience. Especially if we are relying on the sauce on a weekly basis.

So what's the big deal with bottled bbq sauce?

Have you read the ingredients from your bottle of bbq sauce?? More than likely, it looks like the one above. Uh-huh, the one with High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) as the FIRST ingredient! Really?!

If you're not sure...Check. Right. Now.

If HCFS is in the list of ingredients - whether in first place or last - throw it out.  There are absolutely no health benefits to HFCS, but a plethora of negatives.

Try your hand at homemade bbq sauce - it's not as difficult as you think and the ingredients/freshness is superior to anything you would purchase at a store.

1/2 cup onion finely chopped

5 garlic cloves minced

1 tblsp coconut oil

2 tblsp apple cider vinegar

2 tblsp coconut aminos (optional, but tasty!)

juice from 1 large orange

1/2 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

salt & pepper to taste

In medium saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until softened (approx. 5 min). Add remainder ingredients and simmer for about 20 minutes.

This is delicious over any protein choice or as a dip for any veggie, sweet potato fries or even the almond crusted chicken nuggets recipe on this site!

Spanish Flavors!

By:  Maria

Growing up in Spain, I was exposed to incredibly fresh foods and flavors. Meals were more about socializing and less about eating large amounts, fast! It was not uncommon for a meal to last a few hours. Lot's of talking and socializing with stints of nibbling and sipping in between all the great conversations and debates!

One item I remember was Gazpacho - a chilled, tomato-based soup, served as an appetizer, that was delicious on a warm summer day.  My abuela made the best Gazpacho soup and although sadly, I do not have the original recipe, I have learned to experiment, fail and succeed when making different versions of Gazpacho soup - some were sweet, some spicy, some thick and chunky and others smooth as broth. The common denominator with any variety of Gazpacho, however, is the use of the absolute freshest ingredients possible.

Try your hand at this recipe or, as I always suggest, get a little creative with additions of different ingredients that will satisfy your palate.

The measurements I give are a complete estimation because:

1. I like measuring with my hands and palms rather than cups and teaspoons
2. If you use the same exact measurements each time, you will never know whether a dish can taste even better!

2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (if you can get these at the farmer's market - do it!)
1 cup chopped bell pepper (I love color, so I use the brightest!)
1 large chopped seedless cucumber
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/3 - 1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh oregano (fresh is a MUST)
2 tablespoons fresh basil (another MUST)
A bunch of cilantro
5 cloves garlic
1/2 large red onion
2 hard boiled eggs
Juice from half a lemon
Sea salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Balsamic vinegar to taste (or any other vinegar of choice)
Hot sauce (optional)
Avocado slices (optional - but why omit??)

Throw everything (except hard boiled eggs) in a food processor or a blender and blend. As the mixture is blending, add the olive oil, salt, pepper, vinegar, and hot sauce, stopping every few seconds to taste. Once you’re done, let it chill for a few hours before serving. I always make this dish a day ahead in order to allow the truest flavors of Gazpacho to emerge. However, you might like the more subtle flavors of the fresh Gazpacho right after it's blended. Try both! I will always serve this soup topped with hard boiled eggs and avocado slices, alongside a plate of freshly grilled or sauteed shrimp.

Buen apetito!

Mango Strawberry Salsa

By:  Maria

 Summer fresh!

This salsa has textures and flavors that are incredible.  Sweet, crunchy and fresh! 

Whenever we have mangoes in the house, my youngest daughter will devour them.  They don't last long once she gets her hands on them (she can have a mango peeled, sliced and eaten Annie-Oakley-fast!), so I knew I had to think of something quick before the mangoes were gone!

I wanted a dish that I could use as a simple salsa, a topping for any meat or eggs, or delicious alone.  I had some leftover produce/fruit and I wanted to make sure everything was put to use.

This one met all those requirements!

I doubled this batch to feed about 18 people and didn't have many leftovers (even "Annie Oakley"- approved!).

3 ripe mangoes – diced

2-3 cups of fresh strawberries – diced

1 cucumber – diced

3-4 ripe avocados – diced

1/3 large red onion – finely diced

1 orange bell pepper – diced (you can use any bell pepper, but this adds color!)

3 garlic cloves – crushed

1 lemon – juice freshly squeezed (I also added some of the lemon's zest!)

1 lime – juice freshly squeezed

1 small orange – juice freshly squeezed

a bunch of fresh cilantro – chopped

sea salt and ground pepper – to taste (optional)

fresh ginger – grated (optional)

splash of olive oil

Add the following ingredients to a large bowl:

Mango

Strawberries

 Avocado

 Orange Bell Pepper

 Red Onion

Cucumber

Mix together gently until blended and add remaining ingredients - mix and place in fridge to chill before serving.  The flavors were even better the following day!