Experience Nutrition

Tag: healthy cooking

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Mindful Mirepoix into Delicious Quinoa Red Lentil Dish

    By Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    Today was a very mindful, quiet, reflective day and for quiet self care,, I decided to create a new dish inspired by today’s version of mirepoix.  Most of us know mirepoix as carrots, onions, and celery as a base to build the flavor profile of a dish. Today, in my intuitive mirepoix I used onions, leeks, garlic, carrots, bell peppers and a little sea salt. I added organic quinoa and red lentils to create a simple, nutritious meal with pseudograins and protein-rich lentils.

    Excerpt from A New View of Healthy Eating

    Experiment with Mirepoix

    Mirepoix, the aromatic vegetables used at the beginning of the cooking process, builds the flavor profile of a dish. Different cuisines around the world typically begin their cooking with different combinations of vegetables. Experiment with various aromatic vegetables to create a wide variety of flavored dishes.

    French: onions, celery, carrots

    Italian: onions, celery, carrots, plus parsley, garlic, fennel

    Mediterranean: onions, tomatoes, garlic, fennel

    Spanish: onions, garlic, tomatoes

    Asian: garlic, ginger, lemongrass

    Cajun “Holy Trinity”: onions, celery, green pepper

    German: carrots, celery root, leeks

    Enjoy the process from mirepoix to the delicious quinoa lentil meal.

    • Today’s intuitive mirepoix: Green onions, leeks, fresh garlic, carrots, and bell peppers.
    • Cook: Add 1 cup quinoa, 1 cup red lentils, 1 cup homemade veggie stock, and about 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Simmer, covered with lid, for about 20 minutes.
    • Mindfully enjoy. Be intuitive. Quinoa Lentil Side with dehydrated bell peppers.

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    • Enjoy Cold Quinoa Lentil Side with kalamata olives, capers, and a drizzle of organic olive oil.

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  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Bamboo Steamer Organic Carrots

    By Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    After a beautiful, self-care day with a gentle yoga class and some kitchen tools shopping, I decided to create a very simple meal inspired by my bamboo steamer. This is one of my very favorite organic carrot recipes that brings carrots to life with walnut oil, lemon, cumin, parsley, and sea salt. And, it is so simple to prepare. With the carrots, I also steamed some broccoli and cooked a pot of brown rice to enjoy with the meal.

    I hope you are inspired to cook some carrots and other veggies in a bamboo steamer. It’s such a great, simple culinary technique.

    Excerpt from A New View of Healthy Eating

    Bamboo Steamer Carrots

    A bamboo steamer is key to the new view of the year-round healthy eating kitchen. First, learn to steam carrots with the mindful process of steaming. Once you learn how to steam carrots, use your bamboo steamer to steam all kinds of veggies. Try a rustic medley of roots such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and golden beets. Or quickly cook butternut squash and pumpkin as the base for a warm fall soup. Also, experiment with steaming a mix of spring veggies like asparagus, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, and kale.

     Bamboo Steamer Carrots with Cumin Seed Lemon Dressing

    Finishing carrots with a simple herb and citrus dressing adds richness to the simple carrot. Enjoy creating a cumin seed lemon dressing by toasting cumin seeds for added flavor and aromatherapy, lightly tossing the carrots by hand with the dressing and mindfully plating your carrots. Enjoy!

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 6-8 large carrots, rainbow if available, sliced
    • ½ tsp cumin seeds
    • Pinch sea salt
    • 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
    • ½ fresh lemon
    • 2-3 tbsp walnut oil (or extra virgin olive oil)

     SIMPLE STEPS

    1. Steam Carrots
    • To set up the bamboo steamer, fill a large (6- to 8-quart) soup pot with 3-4 inches of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
    • Place sliced carrots into the bamboo steamer. Spread out the carrots so that they do not touch each other to allow the steam to rise and cook the carrots. Sprinkle carrots with a pinch of sea salt.
    • Place bamboo steamer on top of the pot with steaming water. Cover with lid and let steam for about 5-7 minutes or until just cooked.
    • Test the carrots for doneness. When carrots easily come off a fork, they’re ready.
    • Once the carrots have finished cooking, pour them into a large bowl.

     

    1. Cumin Seed Lemon Finishing Dressing
    • While the carrots are steaming, prepare the finishing dressing.
    • To toast the cumin seeds, heat a small sauté pan over low heat. Add the seeds to the pan and cook lightly until fragrant. Once done, remove the seeds from the pan.
    • To make the dressing, gather the lemon and oil, and roughly chop the parsley.
    • Squeeze the lemon juice on the carrots and drizzle with the oil. Gently toss with your hands to coat. Add the toasted cumin seeds and sprinkle with a little salt. Add the parsley and toss again.
    • Mindfully plate and enjoy.

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  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Way to Roast Tomatoes in the Oven

    By Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    Yesterday, when roasting roots, I also decided to cook some tomatoes and beautiful peppers, with a shallot.  The tomatoes and peppers were both grown by farmers within a few miles of my home. The tomatoes were from Abby Lee Farms and the beautiful peppers from Maya’s Farm at The Farm at South Mountain.

    To roast the veggies, I simply tossed the tomatoes and peppers with the same dressing as the roasted roots – organic extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, dried oregano and basil. The aromatherapy was so sweet and I loved the sweetness of the tomatoes.

    Excerpt from A New View of Healthy Eating

    Simple Roasted Tomatoes Sauce

    Oven-roasted tomato sauce is very easy to cook. The main ingredient is time. Be creative with the quantity and combination of tomatoes, onions, carrot, and garlic when you roast this beautiful, delicious sauce. Use the sauce with veggies or, to make soup, strain the cooked tomatoes through cheesecloth, then blend into a creamy soup.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • Tomatoes
    • Red onion, sliced
    • Few carrots, chopped
    • Few garlic cloves, sliced
    • Sea salt

    SIMPLE STEPS

    1. Place whole tomatoes in a large roasting pan.
    2. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, and sea salt and lightly toss.
    3. Roast for about 3 hours, stirring every 45-60 minutes.
    4. Enjoy the aroma of the roasting tomatoes.

    In many parts of our country, tomatoes are in season, so I invite you to visit your local farmers’ market, buy some tomatoes, and create your own simple roasted tomatoes. 

    Post your tomato creations with us on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

     

     

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Experience Nutrition Organic Avocado Salsa

    By Melanie A. Albert, Intuitive Cooking Expert, Author and Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    Today was one of the most exciting days for me, as the first printing of my new book, A New View of Healthy Eating arrived.

    The book has been a labor of love and I am so honored to share my philosophies, simple culinary techniques, and recipe guides to encourage you to enjoy shopping for, cooking and eating beautiful healthy food.

    Today, I committed to create one of the recipes in the book every day and to post a blog for you. My goal is to inspire you to create a simple, healthy dish and share your creation on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

    First, I am honored to share a few images of the book with you.

    Now, my recipe today was a simple Avocado Salsa, inspired by a huge organic Reed avocado. Reed avocados only grow a few months out of the year and have more of the healthy monounsaturated fat in them, so they are really rich and creamy.

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    Today’s Avocado Salsa was intuitively created with:

    • 1 organic Reed avocado
    • Peppers from Maya’s Farm in Phoenix
    • A few tomatoes from Abby’s Farm, about 4 miles from my home
    • Fresh lemon basil from Maya’s Farm, just a mile from my home
    • Garlic from the Community Exchange
    • Fresh lemon and sea salt
    • Ezekiel wrap

    The intuitive Avocado Salsa, as salad and then as a wrap.

    I’ll be placing the second order for A New View of Healthy Eating in about a week, after we review for any minor edits. Pre-order today if you’d like to order a copy and be one of the first to experiment with the culinary skills and recipes in the book. You’ll also receive my Top 5 Favorite Recipes & Culinary Tips.

    Step 1: Buy the Book

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     Step 2: Join our list to receive the Top 5 Favorite Recipes & Culinary Tips

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: New Recipe: Raw Carrot Cake

    by Melanie A. Albert, Intuitive Cooking Expert, Author, Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    We are getting very close to completing the design of my new book, A New View of Healthy Eating. This weekend while completing the design of the Desserts, Snacks, and Superfood section, I  got re-excited about some of the healthy, simple, mouthwatering recipes. I’m happy to share with you, for the first time, the raw carrot cake recipe in the book, which I initially prepared while visiting my parents in Cocoa Beach. Enjoy!

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    Excerpt from A New View of Healthy Eating           

    Carrot cake has been a favorite of mine for decades. As much as I love the aromatherapy of cooking raisins with cinnamon and nutmeg for a baked carrot cake, I love the simplicity and freshness of a raw version of carrot cake.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 1 cup dates, pitted and soaked for 1 hour in water, then rough chopped
    • 2 cups carrots, shredded
    • 1 ½ cups apple, minced
    • 1 ½ cups raw cashews or pecans, ground into a fine meal
    • ½ tsp cinnamon, freshly ground
    • ½ tsp nutmeg, freshly ground
    • ½ tsp sea salt

    SIMPLE STEPS

    1. Gather mise en place.
    2. Soak dates.
    3. Place all ingredients into mixing bowl and combine gently unit the mixture forms a ball.
    4. Press dough into springform pan or bowl.
    5. Refrigerate for an hour.
    6. Serve with sorbet, fresh fruit, or herbs.

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    The Raw Carrot Cake Recipe with 6 Favorite Natural Sweeteners

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    I ‘m placing the first order for A New View of Healthy Eating this week. Pre-order today if you’d like to order a copy and be one of the first to experiment with the culinary skills and recipes in the book. You’ll also receive my Top 5 Favorite Recipes & Culinary Tips.

    Step 1: Buy the Book

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    Step 2: Join our list to receive the Top 5 Favorite Recipes & Culinary Tips

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Philosophies, Part 2

    by Melanie A. Albert, Intuitive Cooking Expert, Author, Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    It is my pleasure to share with you the next few philosophies of A New View of Healthy Eating, which are the foundation for my new book.

    Enjoy Intuitive Shopping. When we shop for our food, it’s important first to pause and listen to our bodies. What are we craving right now? When shopping, mindfully pay attention to the foods, colors, textures, and even aromas you are intuitively attracted to. Sometimes you might be drawn to lots of greens, while other times it may be citrus or tomatoes. It’s especially fun to shop at different farmers’ markets and notice our choices in food during various seasons of the year.

    “Intuitive shopping is fun. Listen to your cravings and shop with all your senses.”

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    Cook with Intuition. With intuitive cooking, we use recipes as guides. We first learn simple, basic culinary methods and techniques (such as raw, steaming, or roasting) to prepare real whole foods with recipes as our guide. Naturally, over time, we learn to trust our own intuition to cook foods we desire using cooking techniques we’ve learned. Over time, you will not need to rely on recipes; you’ll trust yourself and your culinary skills to create your own healthy dishes with local, seasonal food.

    For instance, we learn the culinary technique to steam carrots in a bamboo steamer and use our recipe to finish the carrots with walnut oil, toasted cumin seeds, fresh lemon juice, parsley, and a pinch of sea salt. After learning the bamboo steamer technique to quickly steam veggies, we cook other steamed vegetables (such as asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and peapods) and finish them with different oils, spices, and fresh herbs.

    “With intuitive cooking we also naturally cook more mindfully, meditatively enjoying the rhythm of chopping veggies or the mindfulness of massaging kale or grating fresh spices.”

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     This week, I invite you to visit a farmers’ market in your area and have fun exploring new-to-you veggies. Then, come on over to our Facebook page and share photos: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

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  • A New View of Healthy Eating: 12-Week Arizona CSA, Week 1: Veggie Stir-fry

    By Melanie Albert, Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC.

    During Week 1 of 12 weeks with my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from Maya’s Farm at the Farm at South Mountain, only a mile from my Phoenix home, I created one of my favorite simple intuitive creations from the CSA: simple veggie stir-fry.

    Simple Veggie Stir-fry
    Have fun preparing a quick delicious stir-fry with a few simple steps. The key is to be organized. Pre-chop all your ingredients, and set up your mise en place (all ingredients in place) for your cooking before you start your stir-fry.

    To create a simple veggie stir-fry chose a few of your local in-season veggies, some roots and some greens. This stir-fry was inspired by the baby bok choy and fresh green garlic in this week’s CSA. Added to the stir-fry were some other veggies from local farmers, along with sun-dried tomatoes and capers. During the middle of the stir-fry I decided to add a little fresh lemon to de-glaze the pan and to add local Arizona citrus to the dish.

    Simple Ingredients
    • Organic extra virgin olive oil
    • Green garlic
    • Brussels sprouts
    • Carrots
    • Cauliflower
    • Sun-dried tomatoes
    • Capers
    • Asparagus
    • Baby bok choy
    • Sea salt
    • Fresh lemon (extra!)

    Simple Steps
    • Gather your mise en place.
    • Pre-heat saute pan on medium-high.
    • Pour organic extra virgin olive oil into the pan.
    • Add the aromatics (green garlic) and cook a few minutes.
    • Add veggies you’d like to brown a little (Brussels sprouts).
    • Add dense veggies that need to cook a little longer (carrots, cauliflower).
    • Add extras (sun-dried tomatoes, capers).
    • Add vegetables that do not need to cook very long (asparagus, bok choy).
    • Enjoy!

    This stir-fry (really quick saute) method and recipes are in my new book “A New View of Healthy Eating” to launch in April 2016.

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    Week 1: Arizona CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Simple Stir-fry

    Hope you enjoy your own stir-fry this week! Come on over to Facebook and share your creations: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

    Join our e-newsletter list for recipes, simple healthy culinary techniques, intuitive cooking, nutrition tips, mindful eating and self care. www.EXPNutrition.com

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: 12-Week Arizona Winter CSA: Part 1

    Arizona Winter CSA Part 1: Organic Salad Mix with Orange Green Garlic Dressing Recipe

    By Melanie Albert, Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC.2007 graduate Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Instructor Whole Foods Cooking and Conscious Eating, Southwest Institute of Healing Arts. Her new book, “A New View of Healthy Eating” will be available in April 2016.

    Eat Local & In Season
    One of the best ways to eat local and in season is to get a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Share. Developed in the 1960’s in Japan, CSA programs are designed to build a relationship between the farmer and the community. At the beginning of each season farmers sell CSA memberships to consumers. Each week consumers receive a sampling of produce that’s available from one farmer or a group of local farmers. Cost is generally $25-35 per week for 6-8 weeks.

    CSA’s are great for those of us who wish to experiment with new-to-us locally grown food. CSA’s are generally distributed at farms, farmers’ markets, convenient pick-up locations, such as yoga studios, and some farms deliver CSA’s right to your home.

    My Commitment to a 12-Week CSA: A Mile from Home!
    This week I committed to a CSA with Maya’s Farm at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix. Maya’s Farm is a small certified organic 7 acre farm and a quick 1 mile walk from my home. I purchased the Winter (Late February through mid-May) Arizona season for 12 weeks, at a total cost of $300, or $25 per week.

    Each week, I will blog about my simple whole food intuitive creations with the Winter Arizona CSA and share recipes, simple culinary techniques and nutrition tips.

    The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, AZ
    Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, at Maya’s Farm, The Farm at South Mountain

    Week 1: February 20, 2016: Greens, Roots, Citrus and Tomatoes
    This morning, when I picked up my CSA at Maya’s Farm I was really excited to see the colorful rainbow baby carrots and smell the fresh green garlic. This week’s CSA share includes several different greens (Tuscano kale, mini bok choy, arugula, spring salad mix), rainbow baby carrots, fresh green garlic, a few tomatoes, red French breakfast radishes and different bright oranges.

    Arizona Lettuce Mix

     

    Arizona Organic Salad Mix with Orange Green Garlic Dressing Recipe
    As soon as I arrived in my kitchen, the pungent aromatherapy of the fresh green garlic and sweet aroma of the oranges was the inspiration for a very simple salad. The key to a farm-fresh salad is a simple light dressing, gently tossed with salad mix and a few colorful veggies.

    Orange Green Garlic Dressing

    Simple Ingredients
    • Orange, freshly squeezed
    • Twice as much organic extra virgin olive oil (eg. 1/8 cup orange juice: ¼ cup olive oil)
    • Pinch sea salt
    • Fresh green garlic, minced

    Simple Steps
    • Squeeze orange into jar.
    • Add olive oil.
    • Add sea salt and garlic.
    • Shake.
    • Taste. Add additional oil for more fat or orange juice for more acid.

    Arizona Winter Organic Salad
    Simple Ingredients
    • 2 cups salad mix
    • 3-4 rainbow carrots, sliced
    • 3-4 red radishes, sliced
    • 1-2 tomatoes

    Simple Steps
    • Gently toss salad mix with dressing, coating all leaves.
    • Add carrots, radishes, tomatoes and toss.
    • Plate and enjoy.

    Culinary Tips

    • Lightly toss salad greens with dressing right before serving to keep leaves fresh and not soggy.
    • To make a great salad dressing, use a high quality extra virgin olive oil and pair it with an acid. Use a 2:1 ratio of fat (olive oil) to acid (citrus or vinegar).
    • Create a salad with a rainbow of colorful veggies for beauty and a variety of nutrients.

    NOW AVAILABLE: Purchase “A New View of Healthy Eating. A-55 Card Deck” for motivational messages to inspire you to cook simple healthy whole food, try new recipes, learn simple culinary techniques and add selfcare to your life. “A New View of Healthy Eating” book to be launched April 2016.

    Join our e-newsletter list for recipes, simple healthy culinary techniques, intuitive cooking, nutrition tips, mindful eating and self care. www.EXPNutrition.com

    Share your CSA Creations on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Philosophies: Part 1: Eat Real Whole Foods

    by Melanie Albert, Food & nutrition author and speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC, Phoenix, AZ

    A New View of Healthy Eating begins with the food we choose to eat, and extends to our shopping, cooking and eating experiences.

    The key philosophies are:

    • Eat real whole foods
    • Shop local and in season
    • Enjoy intuitive shopping
    • Cook with intuition
    • Eat mindfully
    • Enjoy life
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    A New View of Healthy Eating: Eat real whole foods.

    Eat real whole foods. Eat foods that are in their natural form, as nature created them. Focus on plants, local, in-season foods. Focus on organic. When we eat real whole foods, we get more nutrition from the foods, we get all of the fiber from the foods, and we receive the energy from the Earth. When we focus on organic we choose to eat food that is “clean”, without pesticides or herbicides, and that are not genetically modified (not GMO).

    Real whole foods include: vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, and wild salmon. It’s quite simple. The recommended foods in A New View of  Healthy Eating are primarily in alignment with an Anti-inflammatory way of eating as advocated by Andrew Weil, MD, the Mediterranean way of eating, and the Blue Zones, as researched by National Geographic, Dan Beuttner and his team.

    “Real whole foods are real. Think actual fruit, vegetables, fruits, grains in their whole from, like brown rice, beans such as garbanzo or lentils, nuts & seeds, and wild cold-water fish, like wild salmon.”  – Melanie Albert

    Your reflection: I invite you to think about the food you have been eating during in the past few days and share with us where you are with whole food eating at this point in time with your life. Come over to our new Facebook page www.facebook.com/newviewhealthyeating 

    BRAND NEW: AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE NOW: First edition of our new “A New View of Healthy Eating: A-55 Card Deck” with daily motivational tips, culinary techniques, recipes, shopping suggestions and self care.

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: A 55-Card Deck

    By Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Food Author & Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC, Phoenix, Arizona

    I’m very excited to announce the launch of my very first card deck, “A New View of Healthy Eating” A 55-Card Deck, as a companion to my Spring 2016 book. As some of you are aware I have been a little quiet during this Thanksgiving holiday to intently focus on creating this deck.

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    A New View of Healthy Eating Card Deck  Layout Ready to Print

    Order Today, November 29, 2015. I will be placing my initial order today, so if you are interested in receiving one of the very first decks, I will include your deck in my order. Expected arrival, December 9, 2015.

    Celebration Pot-Luck in Phoenix. For those of you who live in Arizona, purchase your Card Deck before December 31, 2015 and come to a special celebration pot-luck (with a new culinary experience) on January 9, 2016, 3-5pm at my home in Phoenix.

    The intention of the card deck’s daily motivational messages around food is to inspire you to approach the food you and your family eat, a little differently, that is, with a new view.

    A New View of Healthy Eating begins with the food we choose to eat, and extends to our shopping, cooking and eating experiences.

    A New View of Healthy Eating Philosophies

    • Eat real whole foods
    • Shop local & in season
    • Enjoy the process of intuitive shopping
    • Cook with culinary skills & your intuition
    • Eat mindfully

    55 Motivational Tips in Card Deck

    • Food Shopping
    • Simple Culinary Techniques
    • Whole Food Recipes
    • Nutrition
    • Mindful Eating

    When you receive your card deck, I invite you to intuitively choose a card every day and incorporate that one “new view of healthy eating” into your life.  And, share your experiences and food creations with us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Experience.Nutrition.Now

    The ultimate goal is to enjoy food & life!

  • 9 Ways 90 Days Recipe: Raw Veggie Pasta with Cashew Basil Pesto

    By Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Food Expert, Author and Speaker, Certified Health Coach

    WOW! If you’ve been afraid of the “raw way of eating”, try this simple, beautiful, colorful, fun-to-prepare side dish. Enjoy fresh, local organic veggies with a creamy nutty pesto.

    9 Ways 90 Days Veggie Pasta with Cashew Basil Pesto

    Ingredients: Veggies
    • 2-3 golden beets
    • 2-3 carrots
    • 2-3 zucchini
    • 1 sweet potato

    Ingredients: Cashew Basil Pesto
    • ½ cup fresh basil leaves
    • 4 oz raw cashews, soaked
    • 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
    • 1 tbsp garlic, minced
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • ½ cup organic extra virgin olive oil

    Simple Steps
    • Cut the veggies with a spiral slicer or mandolin.
    • Place all ingredients for the cashew basil pesto, except olive oil in the food processor.
    • Puree.
    • Add the olive oil until smooth.
    • Toss the veggies with about ½ cup of the pesto and serve.
    • Enjoy the taste, the textures and the colors!

    SHARE
    Come on over to our Facebook page, and post your raw veggie pasta creations: www.facebook.com/9Ways90Days

  • 9 Ways 90 Days Recipe: Organic Collard Greens with Reed Avocados & Lemon Cucumbers

    By Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Food Expert, Author and Speaker, Certified Health Coach

    Kale is the rage with raw salads, kale chips and smoothies. But, what about collard greens? I’m taking a Professional Plant-based Culinary Certification Course with Rouxbe, where we experimented with different ways to prepare kale. As an option, I decided to use some of the same techniques with collard greens.

    On top of that, Reed avocados were available at Whole Foods Market this week, so I decided to try one. About 90% of the avocados are grown in California and about 90% of those are Hass avocados. The Reed avocado variety generally grows later in the season, are larger and rounder than Hass avocados, have a thick skin, and contain more monounsaturated fat and thus are creamier than Hass avocados.

    Scroll down for the 9 Ways 90 Days Recipe: Organic Collard Greens with Reed Avocados & Lemon Cucumbers

    9 Ways 90 Days Recipe: Organic Collard Greens, Reed Avocados & Lemon Cucumbers
    9 Ways 90 Days Recipe: Organic Collard Greens, Reed Avocados & Lemon Cucumbers

    Organic Collard Greens with Reed Avocados & Lemon Cucumbers Recipe
    This recipe was inspired by the lemon cucumbers from this week’s farmers market in Ahwatukee Arizona, the Reed avocado and collard greens.

    Ingredients
    • 3-4 large collard greens leaves, chopped
    • 1 Reed avocado
    • 1 lemon cucumber
    • 4 small heirloom tomatoes
    • ½ red pepper
    • 3-4 green onions
    • 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
    • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
    • Fresh lemon basil, to taste
    • Fresh lemon thyme, to taste
    • Sea salt

    Simple Steps
    • Chop all the vegetables
    • Squeeze the avocado into a bowl
    • Add collard greens, lemon juice and sea salt to the avocado
    • Massage the collard greens for about 3 minutes
    • Add the fresh garlic, lemon cucumber, red pepper, green onions and gently toss
    • Add the fresh lemon basil and lemon thyme and gently toss
    • Enjoy this delicious & refreshing salad

    Come on over to our Facebook page, and post your avocado & collard greens creations: www.facebook.com/9Ways90Days

  • 9 Ways 90 Days: New to Me: How to Gently Sweat Organic Veggies

    By Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Wellness Expert, Author and Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

    To further my cooking expertise for myself and my clients in speaking engagements, cooking classes and writing, I’m enrolled in a Professional Plant-based Cooking Certification with the Rouxbe Cooking School. I am definitely learning amazing skills, such as knife skills, and new ways to prepare simple, healthy, beautiful food.

    This week, I learned something totally new: Sweating vegetables. Why do we even sweat veggies and how do we do it? I learned that sweating veggies is the first step in preparing the flavor profile of a dish, it’s a dry heat method of cooking and a very gentle way to cook. Patience is key.

    EXPERIENCE NUTRITION 9 Ways 90 Days Organic Veggie Sweat Recipe
    The recipe I prepared for my class was local organic veggies with quinoa. Within “9 Ways to Enjoy Food & Life” eating real food, cooking simple meals, and eating local, in-season produce are important. So, this recipe is perfect.

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    EXPERIENCE NUTRITION 9 Ways 90 Days: Sweating Organic Veggies Recipe

    Ingredients
    Approximately ½ cup of each of the following organic veggies:
    • Onion
    • Fresh garlic cloves
    • Carrots
    • Red pepper
    • Celery
    • Squash
    • Quinoa cooked in a home-made veggie broth
    • Plus, Olive oil, sea salt

    Simple Steps
    • Mince all veggies
    • Place olive oil, onion and a pinch of sea salt in sauté pan, turn stove on medium-low and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. It’s important to be very patient, with the gentle slow heat, and do let the pan get hot enough to hear sound (that’s the moisture of the veggies).
    • Add in the carrots, celery and fresh garlic, and again cook until the veggies are a little soft.
    • Add in the red pepper and cook until soft.
    • Add in the squash and cook a little. (I prefer a little crunch in squash, so I only cooked it about a minute).
    • Fold the quinoa into the sauté pan
    • Enjoy!

    Come on over to our 9 Ways 90 Days Facebook page to see more Sweating Veggies photos and to share your sweating veggies photos.

     

  • 9 Ways 90 Days: Why We Need Carbs

    By Melanie Albert,  Nutrition & Wellness Expert, Author & Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

    Excerpt from book: “Enjoy Food & Life.  9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating & living.”

    9 Ways 90 Days: Eat Whole Grains
    9 Ways 90 Days: Eat Whole Grains

    Why We Need Carbs

    People are confused about carbs and about whole grains. Many diets are no carb or low carb, but in reality our bodies need about 40-50% carbs every day at every meal. The problem is that people eat low quality carbs, like cookies, cakes, crackers and bread. Other carbohydrate-rich foods, such as whole grains, beans, vegetables are good for us.

     

    Carbs are:

    •  The body’s main source of fuel
    • Easily used by the body for energy
    • Needed for the central nervous system, kidneys, brain and muscles (including the heart) to function properly
    • Stored in the muscles and liver and later used for energy
    •  Vital to intestinal health and waste elimination

    Anatomy of a Grain

    Bran: The outer shell of grain which protects the seed. Contains fiber, B vitamins and minerals.

    Germ: Nourishment for the seed. Contains B vitamins, minerals, vitamin E, and phytonutrients.

    Endosperm: Energy for the seed. Contains carbohydrates, some protein and B vitamins.

     

    What Makes a Grain a Whole Grain?

    •  It has not been processed (made into other food products like flour, cookies, bread or crackers)
    •  It is a whole food and includes the germ and bran
    •  It is considered a “good carb”

    Refined grains: Grains or grain flours that have been significantly modified from their natural composition. Generally involves mechanical removal of bran and germ. Further refining includes mixing, and bleaching.

     

    Enriched grains: Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and iron are often added back to nutritionally enrich the product. Because the added nutrients represent a fraction of the nutrients removed, refined grains are considered nutritionally inferior to whole grains.

    ACTION

    Go to our Facebook page and share what grains you currently eat and which you will enjoy in the future.

  • 9 Ways 90 Days: 6 Reasons Why Dark Chocolate is a Good for You Superfood

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Food Expert, Author, Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group

     Excerpt from book, “Enjoy Food & Life. 9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating & living.”

    BOOK PRE-SALE NOW   www.9ways90days.com

    9 Way 90 Days: Why Dark Chocolate is Good for You

     Why Dark Chocolate is Good for You

    1. Good for Your Heart

    • Studies show that eating a small amount of dark chocolate two or three times each week can help lower your blood pressure.
    • Dark chocolate improves blood flow and may help prevent the formation of blood clots.
    • Eating dark chocolate may prevent arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). 

    2. Good for Your Brain

    • Dark chocolate increases blood flow to the brain, so it can help improve cognitive function. Dark chocolate also helps reduce risk of stroke.
    • Dark chocolate also contains several chemical compounds that have a positive effect on your mood and cognitive health. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), which encourages your brain to release endorphins, as a result eating dark chocolate may make you feel happier.
    • Dark chocolate contains caffeine, a mild stimulant. However, dark chocolate contains much less caffeine than coffee. A 1.5 ounce bar of dark chocolate contains 27 mg of caffeine, compared to the 200 mg found in an eight ounce cup of coffee.

    3. Helps Control Blood Sugar

    • Dark chocolate helps keep your blood vessels healthy and your circulation unimpaired to protect against type 2 diabetes.
    • Flavonoids in dark chocolate help reduce insulin resistance by helping your cells to function normally and regain the ability to use your body’s insulin efficiently.
    • Dark chocolate also has a low glycemic index and glycemic load, meaning it won’t cause huge spikes in blood sugar levels.

    4. Full of Antioxidants

    • Antioxidants help free your body of free radicals, which cause oxidative damage to cells. Free radicals are implicated in the aging process and may be a cause of cancer, so eating antioxidant rich foods like dark chocolate can protect you from many types of cancer and slow the signs of aging.

    5. Contains Theobromine

    • Theobromine, which has been shown to harden tooth enamel.
    • That means that dark chocolate, unlike most other sweets, lowers your risk of getting cavities if you practice proper dental hygiene.

    6. Dark Chocolate is High in Vitamins and Minerals

    • The copper and potassium in dark chocolate help prevent against stroke and cardiovascular ailments.
    •  Iron in chocolate protects against iron deficiency anemia
    •  Magnesium in chocolate helps prevent type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

    ACTION: Eat some good organic dark chocolate with 72% cocao. If dark chocolate is new to you, try it with 55%.

  • 9 Ways 90 Days: Simple Organic Sprouted Spelt Flatbread Recipe

    By Melanie Albert, Nutrition and food expert, author, speaker. Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition Group

     

    A few years ago I discovered that I was sensitive to gluten (the protein in grains like wheat, barley and rye). By exploring different grain flours, I’ve found that I’m not sensitive (no hives, no bloating, no headaches) to the Organic Sprouted Spelt Flour by One Degree Organic Foods. During the last few months, I’ve traveled with this flour and have made organic flat bread with 15 pounds of it. Have fun making your own flatbread.

     

    Organic Sprouted Spelt Flatbread Recipe

    Image

     

    ·         What You Need

    o   ¾ cup hot (not boiling) water

    o   1 TBS dry yeast

    o   ½ TBS honey

    o   2 TBS organic olive oil

    o   2 cups organic spelt flour

    o   ½ tsp sea salt

     

    ·         Simple Steps

    o   Pre-heat oven at 450 degrees

    o   Put 1 TBS dry yeast into ¾ cup hot water, add ½ TBS honey and ½ TBS olive oil. Let it sit for about 10 minutes

    o   Put 2 cups sprouted spelt flour in bowl with ½ tsp sea salt

    o   Add the water with yeast into the flour

    o   Blend with a fork a few minutes, then knead with your hands another few minutes. Only knead for about 4-5 minutes total. Otherwise the flatbread will be tough. If the dough is sticky, add more flour. If it’s dry, add more water

    o   Split the dough in half. Place 2 balls of dough into a bowl which has coated with organic olive oil, and cover for about 2 hours (to rise)

    o   Again, split the dough into 2 sections and spread it onto a pizza brick or silicon sheet with your hands

    o   Bake for 5 minutes, check it, bake for another 5 minutes

    o   Enjoy your flat bread with olive oil and/or balsamic vinegar, or just plain

     

    Come over to Facebook www.facebook.com/9ways90days and post your photos or ask questions.

  • 9 Ways 90 Days: Learn to Eat Local

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Wellness Expert, Author, Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

    Excerpt from book, “Enjoy Food & Life. 9 Ways 90 Day Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating & living.”

    “With farmers’ markets and CSA, I’ve tried new-to-me veggies such as purslane, striped beets, purple carrots and all kinds of leafy greens,” Melanie Albert, Experience Nutrition

    9 Ways 90 Days: Farmers' Market Berkeley, CA
    9 Ways 90 Days: Farmers’ Market Berkeley, CA

    Great Reasons to Eat Local

    • Locally grown produce is fresher, tastes better and lasts longer – It’s farm-fresh, just picked, unlike food in our grocery stores that travels an average of 1,500 miles.
    • Eating local keeps us in touch with the seasons – We eat foods when they are at their peak taste, most abundant and importantly foods that grow where we live are generally what our body needs at time of the year.  For instance, when it’s summer-time, much of the available food, like strawberries and watermelon tends to be light, water-rich and cooling.
    • You can support your local economy.Shop at your local farmers’ market or Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).
    • It’s better for environment – Eating local does means your food is not traveling long distances to reach you.

    Find a Farmers’ Market Near You

    As demand for locally grown fruits and vegetables has increased, so too has the number of farmers’ markets across the nation. After 18 years of steady increases, the number of farmers’ markets across the country now registered with the USDA is 7,864, compared to 1,744 in 1994.

    To find a local farmer’s market, visit the Local Harvest site at www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/.

     

    Join us on Facebook and post a photo of your favorite farmers’ market.

     

  • 9 Ways 90 Days: Hummus Recipe, Just like the hummus we served at the Super Bowl XLIV in Miami

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Wellness Expert, Author, Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

    Excerpt from book, “Enjoy Food & Life, 9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating & living.”

    9 Ways 90 Days Organic Hummus Recipe: Just like Super Bowl VIP Party in Miami
    9 Ways 90 Days Organic Hummus Recipe: Just like Super Bowl VIP Party in Miami

    This is the same recipe we made for the Super Bowl XLIV Tailgate Party for the Super Bowl in Miami. Now, you can make it, too.

     

    Blend all ingredients in Vitamix or food processor, until smooth

    • 2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
    • 1 can Eden organic garbanzo beans with kombu
    • Or, If you have time, 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans (soak beans overnight, cook for  about 50 minutes with ½ strip kombu seaweed)
    • 1/3 cup chickpea water
    • 3 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste or sesame seeds)
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 2 TBS fresh lemon juice
    • ¼ tsp black pepper
    • 1/8 tsp cumin
    • 1/8 tsp coriander (seeds from cilantro)

    After the hummus has been blended, taste and add any more of the ingredients to your taste.

    Add any of the following and blend again: Cilantro, dill, sautéed onions and garlic, sun-dried tomatoes or olives. Remember, you can make hummus with any kind of beans. Once you know how to make this basic hummus, try making it with black beans or navy beans.

     

    Make your own delicious, simple hummus and enjoy the Super Bowl today!

  • 9 Ways 90 Days: 5 Simple Ways to Eat Kale.

    9 Ways 90 Days Eat Kale
    9 Ways 90 Days Eat Kale

    Pre-order NOW: Get the simple ways to prepare kale in our new book, “Enjoy Food & Life, 9 Ways 90 Days step-by-step action plan for healthy eating & living.”

  • 9 Ways 90 Days: Determine How Much Water You Need to Drink

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Wellness Expert, Author, Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

    Excerpt from book, “Enjoy Food & Life. 90 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating & life.”

    It depends on you. The amount of water you need to drink depends on your size, age, level of physical activity, and where you live. Do you work out a lot? Do you live in a warm, dry climate? Are you older? You should drink more water if you live in a hot dry climate like Arizona or if you work out often. If you are over 65 with medical conditions, it is important to consult your healthcare provider on proper fluid intake, as too much water may be as dangerous as too little.

    9 Ways 90 Days: How Much Water do You Need to Drink?
    9 Ways 90 Days: How Much Water do You Need to Drink?

     Action

    • Find out how much water you should be drinking. Take your weight in pounds and divide it by 2 to get the number of ounces you should drink daily.
    • Add in extra ounces, if you work out often or live in a hot, dry climate.
    • Come over to Facebook and commit today to drinking the right amount of water for you.