Chile-Zucchini Mash

Core and Advanced Plan

This is a great zucchini recipe with a southwestern taste.  Zucchini can often be bland and tasteless but this one is super flavorful and satisfying.  It is super easy to make and can be on the table in about 10 minutes.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon grapeseed or coconut oil
2-3 organic zucchini, halved lenghtwise then sliced
1/2 onion, grated or finely chopped
1 4 ounce can diced green chiles, drained
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
dash cumin
1/2 cup organic (preferably raw) cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet then add zucchini and onion.  Cook until soft and slightly browned (about 10 Min).  Stir in chiles, salt, pepper, and cumin.  Mash everything with a potato masher until chunky then stir in cheese.

Recipe adapted from Eating Well, Aug 2011

Grass Fed NY Strip with Chimichurri Sauce

When you are switching from conventional beef to grass-fed beef, there are a couple of cooking secrets you need to know.  Since grass-fed beef is much lower in total fat, it can become tough if not cooked properly.

Here are the basic tricks:

  • Never over-cook!  Grass fed beef is best cooked to medium-rare to medium.
  • Use a tenderizing tool like the Jaccard Tenderizer.  This does wonders for tenderizing grass fed steaks.
  • Marinate the beef for at least 30 minutes with olive oil, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and spices.
  • Cook on high only to sear then cook on low-med heat.  Never cook on high heat.
  • Never cut or puncture the beef while cooking – it lets all of the juices run out.

For the steaks, follow the above steps and cook to desired doneness.  Let the steaks sit for about 5 minutes before serving to seal in the juices.  Serve with Chimichurri Sauce (recipe in the Maximized Living Nutrition Plans book)

Lime Marinated Grilled Free Range Chicken with Kale Salad

Remember, if you are going to grill your food, you should marinate it first.  (See prior post about the dangers of grilling) This is a simple, tasty marinade that everyone will love.

Summer Dinner Menu: Grilled Chicken with "Fresh from the Garden" Green Beans, Kale, Lettuce, and Tomatoes

Lime Marinated Grilled Chicken

4 boneless organic chicken breasts
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Let marinate at least 30 minutes but the longer the better.  Grill on medium heat, flipping frequently.

Marinated Kale Salad

1 bunch raw kale, chopped and de-stemmed
1/4 cup flax seed oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons liquid aminos or tamari
sea salt and pepper to taste

Massage the liquid ingredients into the kale.

Grilled Grass Fed Sirloin with Caprese Salad

Nothing beats grilling out in the summer.  However, grilling can add unwanted carcinogens to your meal.  Smoke from the grill contains carcinogenic substances called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which can coat your food.  In addition, heterocyclic amines(HCAs), can develop in meat that is cooked over high heat.  However, there are ways to mitigate these dangers.  The best way is to marinate your meat.  In fact, the American Institute of Cancer Research says marinating can reduce carcinogenic activity by 92-99%.

Some other tips are to cook at lower temperatures, flip often, never char your meat, and keep away from direct flame.

Marinating grass fed beef also makes it much more tender (as it is not as marbled) and gives it much more flavor.

Basic Grass Fed Beef Grilling Marinade 

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Let marinate for at least 30 minutes but the longer the better.

This is one of my favorite summer salads.  These tomatoes and basil came fresh from my garden which made them even more delightful.

Caprese Salad

Fresh garden roma tomatoes
1 bunch fresh basil
Fresh, raw mozzerella
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Pepper

Slice the tomatoes and mozzerella.  Stack a tomato slice, a basil leaf, and a mozzerella slice.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Baja Slaw for Fish Tacos

This is a great dish for summer.  It is very versatile – you can serve it will grilled or broiled salmon, cod, or mahi mahi for an advanced plan option OR with sprouted grain tortillas for a core plan recipe.

For the Baja Slaw…

Slice very thin:
1 cucumber
1/2 head cabbage
2 tomatoes
1/2 large onion
1 red bell pepper
any hot pepper you like (jalepeno, poblano, etc)

Add:
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup grapefruit juice
1/2 cup lime juice

Let marinate for at least 30 minutes for best flavor.

For the fish:
Season with salt, pepper, and chili powder and grill or broil to desired doneness.

For an aioli type dressing:
Homemade Mayonnaise (recipe in the Maximized Living Nutrition Plans book) with ground chipolte pepper.

NOTE:  for the Core Plan, you can use a grapeseed oil based mayonnaise.

Advanced Plan:  Put the slaw on a plate and top with fish and aioli

Core Plan:  Put fish in a sprouted grain tortilla and top with fish and aioli

Finally – The Highest Quality Organic Food Straight From the Source to Your Door

I have to say that I am typing this post with great excitement.  With the term “organic” being watered down and misused, it is more and more important to know exactly where your food is coming from and now it will be a reality.

Jordan Rubin, author of The Makers Diet and owner of Garden of Life Supplements has started a new venture, called BeyondOrganic that will bring the highest quality, most nutritious foods directly to the consumer.  The products will be available in October 2011 but they are allowing you to sign up NOW in order to get priority when the products are launched.  Just go to www.beyondorganicinsider.com/becomeaninsider.aspx?enroller=5932
 to enroll.

Here is more information from BeyondOrganic:

Company Overview
Beyond Organic is a food and beverage company with products of unequaled quality and efficacy. Our mission is to transform the health of this nation and world one life at a time. We are vertically integrated farming 9,000 acres, thousands of cattle and produce millions of gallons of water per day from our pristine springs.
Our official company launch is scheduled for October 2011. Rather than using a traditional retail strategy to distribute the Beyond Organic products, we have chosen a “mission marketing” (network marketing) model to reach as many people as possible with our unique, nutrient rich foods and beverages. As part of our Beyond Organic “Insider” program, you can begin learning more about our mission and products, reserve your spot in the network and begin building your own organization between now and the official launch in October 2011.

How to Purchase our Product
Beyond Organic food & beverages will be available exclusively through our virtual farmers market and will be conveniently delivered to your door! (Coming in October 2011)

Initial Product Offering – to watch a short video on each, click here 

Beyond Organic’s GreenFed™ Standard
Beyond Organic offers GreenFed™ beef and dairy products. A GreenFed™ diet is ideal to create health for ruminant animals such as cows, goats and sheep. Our cows are raised on pastures that are pesticide, herbicide and chemical fertilizer free. They consume grass and other forage such as forbs, legumes, and herbs. When consuming GreenFed™ beef and dairy you can be sure you are getting the proper balance of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids. Beyond Organic’s GreenFed™ meat and dairy products are loaded with probiotics, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, omega 3 fatty acids and CLA.
Reign – Supreme Mountain Spring Water From our spring producing International Award Winning Water for Best Taste Reign Supreme Mountain Spring Water originates from the pristine mountains of North Georgia surrounded by 130 certified organic acres. This clear blue spring is a renewable resource naturally free of contaminants. The supreme purity of Reign provides maximum hydration and utilization of the body’s most important resource, water.
Reign supreme mountain spring water is up to 20 times more pure than other leading brands, which makes it the ideal vehicle for nutrient transport and detoxification. Reign spring water contains the highest percentage of H2O and the lowest percentage of solids else making it the cornerstone for proper hydration.
Reign Botanical Infusions
Reign Infusions combine the purest mountain spring water with clinically studied botanical extracts to support your good health. Reign Botanical Infusions supercharge the body with all natural extracts such as Winter cherry, Indian gooseberry, and Maitake mushroom.
Infusion Varieties:
Reign Energy Infusion
Reign Diet Infusion
Reign Beauty Infusion
Reign Fitness Infusion
Probiotic Water
For the first time, pure hydration and probiotics are combined! Beyond Organic has combined the purest water with a clinically studied probiotic that can survive high heat and moisture and is safe for all ages to consume. Probiotic water can be consumed every day to hydrate your body and support your digestive and immune systems.

Amasai™
Amasai™ is a drinkable cultured dairy beverage that provides vitamins, minerals, probiotics, proteins and healthy fats to your body. Amasai™ is similar to a yogurt or kefir and with its unique makeup, contains powerful nutrients and provides amazing health benefits. This traditional beverage contains CLA and Omega 3 fatty acids and can be consumed every day to support your immune system and digestive functions. Great for those who are sensitive to traditional products. Now available in the United States for the first time!
Really Raw Cheese
Really Raw Cheese is an artisanal, hand-crafted, never heated, cheese infused with probiotics. Our cheese is created by our own award winning cheese maker. Made fresh on a family owned farm from raw milk produced by GreenFed™ cows, and infused with a powerful clinically studied probiotic, Really Raw Cheese is amongst the purest and healthiest cheese in the world! Our Really Raw Cheese provides high quality protein, calcium and vitamins and is easy to digest.
Really Raw Cheese Varieties:
Cheddar
Cheddar Blue
Blue
Havarti
Gouda
Dark Chocolate with Probiotics & Omega 3’s
Certified organic dark chocolate that is hand crafted by a fourth generation Italian chocolatier and is infused with probiotics and the super food flax seed. Our chocolate is a healthy treat containing fiber, antioxidants and Omega 3 fats.
GreenFed™ Beef
GreenFed™ beef is high in nutrients, and loaded with great taste.
This Beef contains powerful nutrients such as CLA, carnitine, carnosine and vitamins B6 & B12. Finally, a GreenFed™ beef using biblically kosher slaughter methods for animal welfare and human health.
GreenFed™ Beef Selections:
Ground Beef
Ground Beef Patties
Hot Dog
Summer Sausage
Probiotic Flax Oil
Our very own probiotic infused flax seed oil that supports the health of your skin, joints, immune system and overall wellness. Our Flax Oil is certified organic, 100% pure unfiltered, unrefined and high in Omega 3 content.

Just go to www.beyondorganicinsider.com/becomeaninsider.aspx?enroller=5932
 to enroll.