Hi it's me again, your food obsessed non-Realtor! Thanks so much to those that have enthusisastically responded to my recipes and food obsessed stories. Before I share another recipe that is sure to make your mouth water and your arteries unclog, I wanted to share with you some info about a great event put on by Natural Awakenings last night at Beach Recovery Cafe in Norwalk, CT. I have included an article for you to read and learn more.
A great group looking to start the conversation about saving our coastline. I am all for that. This venue was really cute and the food was great(ask my husband about that - he nearly polished off the filet of sole all by himself-oink).
I met a lot of really health conscious people and look forward to working with a few of them to get their health and energy at optimum levels by eating food that they are passionate about! Had to fend off some vicious vegetarians that threatened to abscond with my display, rats! I threatened some mild violence at the thought of a gorgeous head of chickory that caught one of the rogue health nuts eye. 8-)
Here are a great pics of the people that I met at the event!
Now on to the food!
Chicken Stir-Fry
with Cauliflower and Kale
*3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Cut into 3/4-Inch Cubes.
*1 Tbs Tamari
*1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
*1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
*3 tsp of Olive Oil
*3 Quarter-Size Slices of Fresh Ginger
*2 Cloves Garlic, Peeled and Cut Into Very Thin Sliced
*1 Celery Stalk, thinly Sliced On the Diagonal
*1 Medium Carrot, Peeled and Sliced on the Diagonal
*21/2 to 3 Cups Cauliflower Florets
*Small Head of Kale - Thinly Sliced
*1 Small Red Pepper, halved and Thinly Sliced
*Salt To Taste
Sauce:
*3/4 Cup Water
*2 Tbs Tamari
*1 Tbs Arrowroot or Cornstarch
*1/2 tsp of Dark Sesame Oil
Place chicken cubes in a bowl and cover with tamari, balsamic, and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil. Marinate while you continue with the recipe.
Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a wok or a fry pan. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add celery and carrot and toss to coat with oil. Cover and cook for 1 minute.
Add cauliflower and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, adding 1 to 2 Tbs water to help create steam. Remove cover to stir vegetables and to make sure they are not burning.
Add the red pepper and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook 1 minute more. Remove vegetables to a plate and keep warm.
In the same pan, heat the remaining 2 tsp olive oil. With a slotted spoon, remove half the chicken from the marinade and stir fry over high heat for 4 or 5 minutes, or until meat is cooked. Check center of a cube to make sure the chicken is cooked. Remove to plate with the vegetables. Repeat with the remaining chicken. You need not add any extra oil because the oil in the remaining marinade will be sufficient to lubricate the pan.
In a small bowl, stir together the sauce ingredients. Add to the pan and cook until clear and thickened. Return the vegetables and cooked chicken to the pan and heat through. serve immediately with more tamari, if desired.
It is almost earth day. I think we should dedicate more than one day to the earth but hey what do I know.
I am green year around. Here is a great salad recipe that will get you your greens, yellows, oranges, purples and reds. This gorgeous salad is jam packed with nutrients. You can use the dressing on other salads too.
Enjoy!
Chopped Salad with Shallot Poppy Seed Dressing
8 stalks of asparagus
1 avocado
1 T lemon juice
2 heads of endive, chopped
1 head radicchio, chopped
2 bunches of watercress, chopped
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
½ cup kalamata olives, pitted
3 stalks of celery, chopped
½ red onion, chopped
Dressing
1 cup of olive oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 small shallot minced
½ t of sea salt
¼ cup agave
2 T poppy seeds
Garnish
1 cup of toasted pumpkin seeds.
Bend each piece of asparagus near the tough dried end until it snaps off at its natural breaking point. Discard ends, wash asparagus and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place in a bowl. Bring 3 cups of water to boil. Pour over asparagus, let sit 1 minute, then drain.
Cut avocado in halt and remove pit. Score with a small paring knife into squares. Pour into bowl and add lemon juice to prevent browning.
In a large bowl, combine asparagus, avocado and all the rest of the salad ingredients. Set aside.
In separate bowl, combine all dressing ingredients except poppy seeds and whisk by hand or with handheld blender. Stir in poppy seeds.
Serves 8 as a side salad.
I love to eat out.
I love to see a creative chef take a common food item and create something that I would never think of doing.
You guessed it, I have really high standards and am very frequently disappointed in the restaraunt experience. My husband gets a little annoyed with me because if the meal is mediocre, I am not going back to that restaurant again.
Here in Fairfield County, CT food is not cheap. Plus you never know what the ingredients in your meal are but I will forgo that to be wowed.
Sono has some great restaurants and we just found one recently that was spectacular. I had wild salmon in a finely julienne veggie nest with pea tentacles on top. It was delicious and absolutely gorgeous. My husband had trout on a bed of wild mushrooms and sprouts with the most awesome sauce. I kept hoping he would look away so I could grab some of his food. The ingredients were organic and wild and unbelievable. The dinner was well over $100 and worth every penny. I walked away happy.
That rarely happens - so I cook almost all of our meals, this way I am insured that it is done the way we like it, the ingredients are organic and when we are able, in season and local. There are other advantages with home-cooking that are unseen but always felt. It is the love that is infused in every dish. If you love to nurture your family, cook for them. It is the best way that I know to show that you care. My husband points out that if the cook is angry at you or can't cook then the opposite may be true. Leave it to him!
So get those cookbooks out or open that frig and start creating. And hopefully you are as lucky as I that you have a bountiful number of restaraunts around your home so when you do want to eat out, you can find a few that make delicious, nutritious meals that make that lofty price tag all worth it!
Check out my blog for recipes.
If you are interested in a personal chef and live in the Fairfield County, Ct area - check out my site and look at Menus
the Healthing Power of Food!
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Nutrition Coach and Personal Chef. I help busy professionals make the connection between what they eat and how they look, function and feel. the Healing Power of Food.
I am a certified holistic health coach and a personal chef. I have a degree in psychology from Penn State. I graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and am a Certified Holistic Heath Coach. My clients are busy professionals and business owners that want to improve their health, energy and how they look by eating delicious health foods. I am a passionate foodie that can help you find food that you love and makes you feel your best. I offer nutrition coaching, in-home cooking classes, menu preparation and shopping. My personal chef services are great for new homeowners, new moms and those that want to eat healthy but don't like to cook. Want to learn more? Check out my website or give me a call.
I work with busy entrepreneurs that are experiencing digestive issues. Many don't even know that the food that they eat is making them sick. If you have the classic GI symptoms then you know you have a problem but if you have migraines, sinus infections, skin issues you too could have an issue with the food you are eating. I also work with clients that are looking to avoid going on blood pressure, cholesterol medications and that are pre-diabetic and want to remedy these issues in a natural long term way. I see dramatic results from my client when they make subtle dietary and lifestyle changes. I am passionate about food so I am dedicated to making you meals peasurable as well as healthy.
Kate
"This winter I had an event I wanted to lose weight for, and a very short period of time to reach my goal. A friend of mine had been raving about Mindy’s services, so I decided to try working with her. What a great experience! I lost 10 lbs in 5 weeks and have managed to keep that weight off. I’ve been getting tons of compliments on how well I look – people have remarked that I’m not only thinner but my shape has changed! And, they’re saying I look younger and healthier. Thanks to Mindy! I couldn’t have done this on my own – she tailor made my diet, helped me stay motivated, and figured out solutions to the things I had difficulty with. Speaking of solutions, she seems to have a knack for coming up with solutions for all kinds of things, not just nutrition. I’m starting to think of her as my “one stop problem solving shop!” and value her services tremendously."
Audrey
"Mindy Kannon is one of the very best things to happen to me! I’ve been working with Mindy since November 2010, and my impetus is to improve my diet and fine-tune it in such a way as to help with a digestive issue I had been having. Her skilled insights and recommendations have been right on the money. My digestive challenges are now calm and my gastroenterologist was impressed by my dietary measures. Mindy is both an excellent sleuth and a tremendous support, always with great cheer. I find our bi-monthly sessions very supportive and refer to Mindy as my “Food Coach.” It’s nice to know that I don’t have to do this alone and the recipes and encouragement work together in positive ways. Whatever your health goal, Mindy takes the time and energy to customize a plan especially for you. You have to do your part, but, thankfully, it is “delicious” work. I have found working with Mindy to be a successful collaboration and can’t recommend her highly enough. Thank you, Mindy!"
Paula
“Looking for a health coach, a personal chef or both well then you've come to the right place. I can't begin to say enough about how Mindy has helped change my life. I was 30 pounds over weight, hitting the vending machines and had no concept of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, etc. I pretty much ate what I felt like. I was depressed and in a job that wasn't the right fit for me after being unemployed for 11 months. Not to mention a roller coaster of a relationship. Whenever I looked in the mirror I never saw my smile reflect back at me. With the help of Mindy and her knowledge of healthy eating, exercise and positive thinking my life began to turn around. I've lost 14 pounds, got a better job, am working on changing my attitude towards things and most importantly I now understand the nutritional benefits of making healthy food choices through my coaching sessions. It's very true when they say you are what you eat. After 3 months of coaching and a job change, I hired Mindy as a personal chef for my lunches. We talk once a week to plan out the food for the next and Mindy offers up suggestions that I never would have thought of. All healthy, delicious and unique in it's own way. So with that said, I strongly recommend Mindy for anyone that is looking to eat better, look better and overall just be happy with who they are. You can't go wrong with her services. It's definitely worth the money.” November 10, 2010
Deb
"I am a middle-aged woman in my early forties who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and decided that she didn't like what she saw: a slightly overweight woman for my age, size and shape, bags under my eyes from lack of a decent night's sleep, financially strapped and just a little down on my life. I suffer from depression, fatigue and lack of motivation. I've eaten everything bad in the book: no vegetables, grains or proteins - and water - what was that? I found myself dehydrated more than refreshed and crashed everyday, which ultimately affected my work. I hit the vending machine daily and drank lots of soda. Then I connected with Mindy. She tapped not just into what I should be eating and what I should be doing but the key components of why I was doing what I was doing. We came to the realization that the other parts of my life that brought me unhappiness affected what I ate and how I felt. I am learning to change my diet by eating healthier foods: vegetables, healthy fruit with low sugar, more protein and whole grains. But not only am I eating better, I am learning what's behind each new and healthy thing I am putting in my mouth: how the healthy foods can contribute to a healthier me. Not only am I being coached on good nutrition and the importance of it, I am also being supported in my efforts to exercise, which I am finding gives me more energy and a better night's rest. We are taking a deeper look at the issues in my life that have made my existing lifestyle intolerable. I am learning to look at things more clearly and take the necessary steps to make immediate changes in my life to make me feel better and look better. Mindy has helped in giving me meaning in life by helping me "eat better, lose weight and live a healthier life style." I can't stress enough how this program is putting me on a much better path. One day soon, with the help of Mindy, her knowledge and her 6 month program I will once again be able to look in the mirror and feel good about the person I am."
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