Marilu Henner's Blog, page 149

Featured recipe from Marilu's table * Fried fish wraps with asian coleslaw

Yes, this is a macrobiotic version of fish tacos. We love fish tacos, and it's always fun to try old favorites with new flavors. This recipe requires planning ahead, as both the coleslaw and the fish need to "hold" for an hour.

I wish we knew more about fish…. Of the animal foods, fish is easiest to digest. Whenever possible, buy fish that is caught wild and fresh; farm-raised fish almost always contains antibiotics, and fish loses lots of its energy and freshness when frozen.

Fish, like all the other animal foods, supports active, physical energy. Macrobiotic cooking tends to use white-meat fish because it is lower in fat and less yang. If you are in good health, don't be afraid to shake things up with some salmon or tuna every once in a while….But fish should always be balanced with green, upward-growing vegetables. And it's not unusual to serve a lemon wedge, dessert, and /or a beer at fish meals as well. Raw daikon (always served with sashimi in Japanese restaurants) helps to break down the heavy fats found in some fish.

~ Jessica Porter, The Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics

 

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Fried Fish Wraps with Asian Coleslaw and Rice

adapted from Lisa Silverman's recipe printed in The Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics, by Jessica Porter

Yellow * Serves 4

Asian Coleslaw

3/4 cup Nayonnaise or Veganaise

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

1 Tablespoon umeboshi vinegar

1 Tablespoon brown rice syrup

1 cup shredded red cabbage

1 cup shredded green cabbage

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl. Add cabbages, carrots, and cilantro and blend well. Set aside for 1 hour.

Fish

1 pound white fish (such as haddock or flounder)

2 Tablespoons shoyu (or tamari or soy sauce)

1 Tablespoon mirin or sake

1 Tablespoon brown rice vinegar or grated fresh ginger

1-2 Tablespoons sesame oil (start with one)

1 cup cornmeal

lemon wedges (optional)

4 whole wheat tortillas

2 cups long-grain basmati rice, cooked

Mix the shoyu, mirin, and vinegar (or ginger) in a glass dish and marinate the fish in it, turning the fish to cover it with marinade. Marinate for at least 1 hour.

Remove the fish from the marinade and cut into 3-inch pieces; roll each piece in cornmeal. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the fish and fry 2-3 minutes on each side until the fish is tender and golden brown in color. Drain on paper towels.

Heat tortillas on a dry skillet. Arrange rice, fish, and coleslaw on the tortillas and wrap. Serve with lemon wedges.

 

Sign the Meatless Monday pledge

The Environmental Working Group is encouraging people to go meatless on Mondays. You can sign their pledge here.

One of the people supporting this effort is chef Mario Batali.

My restaurants were already very vegetable heavy, but I came to realize that vegetables did not have to be only a condiment or a side dish, and we've added more veg-centric entrée-type options. I wanted to make it easier for other people to cut back on meat, so we began promoting Meatless Monday and offering alternating veggie specials every week!

This issue is particularly important to me because it so profoundly affects children. Studies have found that young kids are eating triple the currently recommended amount of protein, mostly from meat, yet few eat enough fruits and vegetables. If we don't take action now and teach our kids how to eat less meat, more and more of them could face serious health conditions such as heart disease, stroke and even some types of cancer as they get older.

You can help your family eat healthier by serving them a tasty meatless meal once a week. And if we all do it together — cutting down on the chemical fertilizers, fuel, pesticides and toxic chemicals that harm the environment — we'll make a huge difference!

~ Mario Batali, on Facebook

 

Check our blog each Monday for a meatless recipe – Marilu.com fully supports Meatless Monday (and other meatless days, too, as you find more meatless meals you love).

 

Memory chat with Marilu!

Marilu.com Exclusive!

Marilu will be chatting with members about MEMORY on Monday, August 22nd at 1 PM Eastern (10 AM Pacific).

Learn more about Marilu's unique superior autobiographical memory!

Find out about Marilu's new book on memory!

Get updates on memory research!

Ask your questions about memory and how the brain remembers!

Mark your calendars for this Members-only chat!

Monday, August 22, 1 PM Eastern

Not a member? Join now and you can take the Healing Traditions class and join the chat, too!

 

Take a meditation break

In the spirit of healing traditions from around the world, we have some meditation music this week. It will give you time for a good 10-minute meditation. The song is from Sounds of the Ether by Joseph Michael Levry.

Most of the words in this song are "I Am". Use that to focus your thoughts on who you are, and who you want to be – loving, nurturing, accepting, generous, compassionate, healthy, helpful, kind, considerate, strong, forgiving, etc (just pick one at a time, though, and really focus on it). Open your heart to let that trait become a part of you.

 

//www.marilu.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/02 I Am.mp3

 

Featured recipe from Marilu's table * Stovetop millet cakes

These cakes are similar to polenta slices – serve them topped with a marinara sauce or salsa, or perhaps with a mushroom sauce. Add steamed veggies and a green salad to make a complete meal.

At this time of year, zucchini is in abundance, but for the times it's not available, you can substitute other vegetables.

For people with gluten allergies, millet is a good optional grain, as it contains no gluten. Millet is easy to digest, with a cooling and soothing effect on the digestive system. Millet is high in vitamins and minerals, notably iron, magnesium, and potassium. It helps the body with repair, cleansing, and elimination.

Millet can be cooked in two ways. Cooking it with plenty of water results in a thick consistency, ideal for stuffings, burgers, and as a hot cereal. If toasted first (dry in a hot skillet) and cooked in a little less water, the result is a fluffy grain similar to couscous.

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Stovetop Millet Cakes

adapted from The Yoga Cookbook: Vegetarian Food for Body and Mind, by The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers

Blue * Serves 4-6

2 cups millet

1 quart water

pinch of salt

1-1/3 cups chopped zucchini

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

3 Tablespoons whole wheat flour (or use a gluten-free flour blend)

2 Tablespoons oil

7 ounces firm tofu, drained, pressed, and crumbled

Place the millet, water, and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to maintain a simmer, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the zucchini, bring the pot back to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes longer. Cool.

When cold, mash the millet and zucchini. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to make a thick batter. Add a little extra water, if necessary.

Heat a lightly oiled large skillet over medium heat. Form millet into cakes by putting a handful of the mixture into the skillet and pressing down on it with a wet metal spatula. Only cook 2-3 cakes at a time. Cook 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Keep warm until they are all cooked (remove to an oven-proof platter or cake pan that you keep in a 200F oven).

 

Class news * Healing Traditions class starts today!

HEALING PRACTICES

with Coach Robbie

10 weekdays (Monday-Friday, Monday-Friday)

STARTS TODAY!

August 15-26, 2011

Coach Robbie will introduce five different traditions from around the globe — Ayurvedic traditions, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Japanese Macrobiotics, Native American practices, and Celtic traditions. Throughout the 10 days there will be cross references to common threads found in the various schools of practice. The idea is to focus on dietary guidelines and habits of self-care that support good health.

Members check your inbox today for an email today with links to the class.

Not a member? Sign up now!

You'll also get access to Marilu's Memory chat next Monday!

 

Spirit Sunday * It's a beautiful world

Beautiful World, performed here by Dierks Bentley & Patty Griffin

 

Memory chat with Marilu!

Marilu.com Exclusive!

Marilu will be chatting about MEMORY on Monday, August 22nd at 1 PM Eastern (10 AM Pacific).

Learn more about Marilu's unique superior autobiographical memory!

Find out about Marilu's new book on memory!

Get updates on memory research!

Ask your questions about memory and how the brain remembers!

Mark your calendars!

Monday, August 22, 1 PM Eastern

 

There's still time to sign up for class!

Every month at Marilu.com we have online classes – an opportunity for you to learn more about healthy living from Marilu and her hand-picked coaching staff. Classes are included with your membership! Not a member? Sign up now!

The next class starts Monday! Join the fun and learn something new about different ways to be healthy.

HEALING PRACTICES * August 15-26 2011

Coach Robbie, an anthropologist, shares healing practices from around the world. Join today!

Here's what you can look forward to for the rest of the year!

BACK TO BOOTY SCHOOL—EUROPEAN SEMESTER * September 2011

We're going "on location" (virtually) with Coach Evi to explore healthy living in Europe. Recipes, lifestyle and cooking tips from several different European countries…it's our own version of a semester abroad!

GRATITUDE * October 2011

As we prepare for the holidays, we get into a mindset of gratitude and abundance with Coach Robbie.

GLUTEN-FREE LIFE * October 2011

Coach Jill helps us understand the gluten-free life. If you have family or friends who are GF (for any reason), join us for recipes, cooking tips, and lifestyle tips.

HOT FOR THE HOLIDAYS * November-December 2011

This class is your all-around holiday preparation and organization class with Coach Jan.

Become a member now and get all these classes!

 

Fitness Friday * Burpees

Remember burpees? Probably from gym class, unless you've taken a boot camp fitness class recently.

Burpees are … not our favorite thing to do. But they are effective, and they work a lot of major muscle groups, as well as calling on smaller muscles for stabilization. And they raise our heart rate, too, but we're not sure that's an intended benefit.

Start by standing with your feet a little wider than shoulder distance apart.

Squat into a frog-like stance, planting your hands inside your feet.

Jump your feet back, so you're in a plank position (the "up" pose of a push-up).

Do a pushup. If you need to put your knees down to do a pushup, that's okay. Make sure you have good form.

Jump your feet back up to your hands, so your knees are outside of your arms.

Stand up. (Or jump up.)

That's one. (And one is a lot of work! But it's working for you… for your body and for your health. Think about the benefits. Think about being strong and powerful.)

Start with three sets of eight burpees. Build up from there!