To get as much benefit from the whole foods you eat its important to buy fruits and vegetables grown locally and in season.  Here a some healthy and nutritious spring and summer picnic recipes you can make for your friends and family to enjoy in the park.  You can try them on Memorial weekend or Fourth of July.

Spring and Summer Recipe with Baby Artichokes with Garlic and Oranges

Ingredients:

• 16 baby artichokes (about 2 pounds)
• 4 – 5  tbsp olive oil
• 3 -4  garlic cloves, chopped
• ½ tbsp turmeric
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp sour cream or yogurt
• 1 tbsp dill chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley chopped
• salt and black pepper to taste
• orange wedges

Directions:

Trim baby artichokes and cook in boiling water for 5 minutes. Sautee onion and cook in olive oil for 5-7 minutes, add garlic and cook for more 2 minutes or until garlic gets brown. Add artichokes, stir in salt, pepper, 1/2 cup water, 2 tbsp sour cream, ½ tbsp turmeric. Cook, covered, until artichokes are tender, about 5 minutes longer or until knife inserted in bottom of artichoke goes through easily. Serve, warm, garnish with orange wedges, dill and parsley.

Spring and Summer Asparagus with Turmeric Dressing and Almond Butter Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup onions chopped
• 1 bunch asparagus spears
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Weight Loss Detox Turmeric Dressing
• 1 tsp almond butter
• 2 tbsp parsley or dill chopped
• salt to taste

Directions:

Steam asparagus spears (or cook in boiled water) for 5-8  minutes or until tender.  Sautee onions in olive oil for 10 minutes. Make Turmeric Dressing in a bowl, add almond butter and onions and mix thoroughly. Place the asparagus spears on the plate and coat with the new mix of turmeric dressing, almond butter and sautéed onions. Garnish with parsley or dill.

Summer and Spring Mushroom and Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp ghee or organic raw butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8 mushrooms
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 4 cups spring greens (lettuce, spinach, arugula)
• 1/2 cup spring green onions chopped
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 6-8 radishes, sliced
• 1 cup cooked quinoa (or barley or wheat berries) chilled
• 1/2 cup grated Goat cheese
• 2 tbsp dried cranberries
• 2 tbsp prunes
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 1tbsp parsley chopped
• 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Sautee mushrooms in olive oil for about 5 minutes, add garlic and cook for more 2 minutes; add sour cream, season with salt and pepper, stir thoroughly and set aside. Place all the remaining ingredients into a large salad bowl and sprinkle with Apple cider vinegar. Just before serving, pour the warm mushrooms in sour cream over the salad.

Bon Appetit!

Don’t forget to breathe, smile and be happy.

© Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition Counselor and Coach

NaturalCounselor.com

Do you like to try new eggplant recipes?  Eggplant nutrition is good for us women; here are some reasons why:

* The purple peel of eggplant contains proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins  (like in elderberry, persimmon, tart red cherries and purple grapes, beets, and purple cabbage), which are compounds that can help protect against brain aging, heart disease and various women’s cancers.

* Eggplant is an excellent source of fiber, a mild laxative and diuretic, which can help you with weight loss, keeping blood pressure under control, diabetes, and cholesterol reduction and arteriosclerosis.

*Eggplant is one of the alkaline-forming vegetables, which can be used to strengthen the immune system to keep you healthy and in balance (acidity creates inflammation, puffiness, weaken our immune system which can lead to heart disease, etc.)

P.S. If you suffer from arthritis, foods in the nightshade family, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and some citrus should be avoided.

P.P.S. Eggplant should be eaten in moderation by pregnant women.

Healthy Ratatouille Recipe with Eggplant and Zucchinni

Eggplant is considered to be one of the most energizing and soothing. foods for women, and zucchini is helps with elimination and to keep your skin healthy and glowing.

• 3 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium eggplant, chopped
• 2 onions chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin oil
• 1 tbsp garlic
• ½ tbsp basil
• 1 tbsp dill and parsley
• 1 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Sautee onions in olive oil for 3 minutes, add garlic and spices, cook for a few minutes more. Add tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini. Cook until vegetables are soft. Serve with couscous, or basmati rice.

Bon Appetit!

Breathe, smile and be happy.

©Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health and Nutrition Coach and Counselor

Did you know that adding nuts and seeds to your meals can add more than 2.5 years to your life? Studies show that Omega-3 in nuts (walnuts), and fish (wild salmon) can improve your brain, skin and heart.

Studies (University of Athens) also show that meals with vegetables, fish, olive oil, (in other words, a Mediterranean diet), will help you live at least one year longer. Plant based foods and healthy fats in olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocado, and fish can keep your heart healthy and stress free.

Here are super healthy and delicious anti-aging recipes that can improve, and extend your life:

Mahi Mahi with Lemon Anti-aging Recipe

• 2 tbs live oil
• 1 (6 to 8-ounce) mahi-mahi fillet
• 1 tbsp garlic, chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Saute the mahi mahi until the underside is golden brown. Turn the fish over and add the garlic, lemon juice. Once the wine and lemon juice have cooked down, add the ghee. Finish cooking and season with salt and pepper.

Caesar Salad with Walnuts and Mango Dressing Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 head romaine lettuce
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped

For Dressing:

• 1/2 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 cup mango
• 2 tbsp unfiltered extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 tsp tahini
• 1/8 tsp cayenne, optional
• Pinch of Himalayan Pink sea salt

Put all ingredients in vitamix and blend until smooth. The dressing is adopted from www.carolynakens.com

Directions:

Assemble the salad: Tear the lettuce into a large bowl. Add enough dressing to coat the salad to your liking: add walnuts and toss the salad well. Serve immediately.

* Click to listen to Healthy Italian Cooking with Celebrity chef Maria Liberati.

Bon Appetit!

© Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition Counselor, Coach, and Relationship Expert

It’s cold outside.  Use our warming soups to nourish your body and draw energy into your digestive tract to help digest your food properly. If you have a healthy digestive tract, you will have less stress on your body.  Healthy intestines will boost your immune system so you won’t catch colds during Cold and Flu Season. 

A healthy digestive tract also helps keep your skin and hair healthy.

Here are two recipes to help you stay healthy and happy during those cold winter days and nights.

Warming Buckwheat Soup Recipe

• 4 cups water
• ½ cup buckwheat
• 2 cups cabbage chopped
• 2 cups butternut squash, chopped
• 2 small onions
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 strip wakame seaweed
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp parsley to garnish

Roast the buckwheat, by stirring in a skillet over medium heat until it turns golden brown and smells toasty. Sautee onions in olive oil for 4-5 minutes. Bring the water to boil with squash and wakame (cut in small pieces); dd buckwheat and cabbage, simmer for ten minutes. Add onions, salt and parsley. Serve with fresh dill.

White Bean and Vegetable Soup

• 1 small rutabaga, diced
• 2 parsnips, sliced
• 3 carrots diced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 cup white navy beans, soaked for 2 hours
• 6 cups water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped, to garnish
• 2-3 fresh scallions, sliced, to garnish

Place the kombu on the bottom of the soup pot, top with beans, add celery and  water. Bring to boil, reduce hit and simmer for 50- 60 minutes until beans soft. Meanwhile sautee onions for 5 minutes in olive oil, add carrots, parsnip, rutabaga and sautee for more 10 minutes. Combine all ingredients in the soup pot, simmer for 3 minutes. Serve with cilantro and sliced scallions.

Bon Appetit!

Click to listen to Leslie Cerier, “The Organic Gourmet” on Gluten Free Cooking.

Click to listen to Wendy Battles, Clean Eating Coach on Healthy Meal Planning.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

©Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition Counselor and Coach