The count down begins! Only 2 more days until 2015! What New Years resolutions are you making this year? Change can often be difficult if we don’t have a plan of action. Some of our favorite foods and the frequency in which we eat them can sometimes draw us toward them without us even thinking about it. To overcome this “hard wiring”, […]
Creating a Plan of Action for the New Year
New Years Appetizers!
I can feel a New Years party coming on, can you? I had so much fun creating these delicious appetizers! I wanted something elegant that would make my guests moan in delight without them even thinking about how “healthy” it was. These next few recipes are great examples of how eating for a healthy body doesn’t have to taste bad, […]
The Perfect New Years Eve Dinner
When you know you’ll celebrating the new year with liberal doses of lip lickin’ libations, it is a good idea to have a fatty meal before you party. Not a bacon cheeseburger and french fries, but some quality fat such as coconut oil, ghee, butter, fish oil, or walnut oil. Fat will stick to the stomach lining and lube the intestines, sometimes […]
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! May your digestion be strong, your blood sugar levels balanced, and your heart filled with joy! One final dish marks the closing of the holiday: Last Course Cheese and Fruit Sampler Served at the end of the meal, Italians prolong the time spent with family and friends with one last course. This course […]
Feast of the Seven Fishes: Whole Roasted Fish
It’s just not a Feast of the Seven Fishes without a Whole Roasted Fish, and this recipe is the Italian bomb! Move over Mario Batali, here I come! I used all your typical Italian ingredients and salted the fish generously. At first I thought I might have gone overboard with the bay leaves, but in the end it was seasoned […]
Feast of the Seven Fishes: Poached Baccalà Salad
The feast continues with delicious black cod in Poached Baccalà Salad! This is a very traditional Christmas salad for Italians celebrating the feast of the seven fishes. I only adapted it in a few areas to decrease the oil and salt. I also did not soak the cod in milk as the traditional recipe suggests, rather in water with a bay […]
The Needed Disclaimer for this Healthy Snickers® Replacement
So, I’ve been writing about the downsides of refined sugar for a long time now and if you’ve read my book you know I am something of a sugar nazi. But every once in a while (especially around the holidays), it is nice to tickle your dopamine center with something sweet. So to that end I started out on a […]
Feast of the Seven Fishes: Smoked Trout Salad
When I decided to celebrate Christmas Italian style I knew I needed a salad to serve after the main course. I wanted one that would be light and refreshing, yet keep with the seven fishes theme. I got the idea for this smoked trout salad after having dinner at one of the seafood restaurants in Seattle. As an appetizer they served […]
Feast of the Seven Fishes: Seafood Risotto
Can you say OMG? If the Italians consider eating seafood for Christmas Eve as fasting, I am SO in! This Creamy Seafood Risotto with yummy shrimp and crab meat is out of this world! Prepare this dish in advance and add the shrimp and crab at the last minute so it is nice and warm when you serve it. This is […]
Feast of the Seven Fishes: Cioppino
My family screamed a little bit at the idea of serving seafood on Christmas, but once they sat down to this meal, I could tell that all resistance had melted away. This seafood recipe couldn’t get any easier or tastier for that matter. Cioppino is an an Italian dish that is extremely rich in nutrients, particularly minerals. It is full of flavor and […]
Feast of the Seven Fishes: Braised Mahi Mahi
This recipe for Braised Mahi Mahi with Tomato & Herbs was a breeze to make! One of the main things I was concerned about in serving seven seafood dishes for Christmas Eve was that my timing might be off. I saved this dish for last because it was so quick and easy. Everything worked out real nicely! This would be […]
Feast of the Seven Fishes, an Italian-Style Christmas Eve
As a cook, sometimes I itch to veer away from the traditional holiday roast and make something different. This year I decided to scratch that itch. My search led me to a Southern Italian tradition called “Feast of the Seven Fishes” in which Italians “fast” on Christmas Eve. At first I was appalled at the idea, but the more I read about this […]