Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 21
August 24, 2017
Chilled Berry Soup, Anyone? It’s in The Paleo Kitchen!
Writing for online publications such as the blog on the Vitacost has been a great way to reach folks who may not have connected with me otherwise.
After all, the Paleo niche can be limiting to say the least.
Rather than focus only on those who truly understand what an authentic approach to ancestral eating is, why not instead, think on a broader scale and appeal to anyone interested in bettering their health?
Given that Vitacost is an online source for vitamins, supplements, sports nutrition and organic health and grocery products, it would make sense that anyone on their site might be interested in learning how to clean up a recipe, make a slight shift towards more keto approach to eating or simply gain an idea about how to make kid-friendly snacks in a jiffy… all topics I’ve had the opportunity to write about on their platform.
My goal is simply to help people feel empowered when they make the connection between eating a food which makes them feel badly, having the ability to choose foods which make them feel fantastic, and as a result, come away one step closer toward their personal, perfect plan.
Check out their book, Paleo Kitchen, which they’re offering as a free download on their blog page. In it, you’ll find recipes from several Paleo-enthusiasts, including two of mine, such as the chilled berry soup, shown above.
Enjoy!
August 11, 2017
1-2-3 Cook: Deliciously Simple Roast Chicken
Who doesn’t love a good roast chicken?
As popular as this dish is, however, many of the often used techniques are either too complicated, don’t result in a chicken with crispy skin yet succulent meat, or both.
I’ve found through trial and error that a few simple tweaks can be make a world of difference between a dried out breast with soggy skin on the back and an all around crisp bird that everyone will die for.
One important tip when sourcing: don’t forget that free-range is not good enough. Per the USDA (1), “Producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside.”. How much time and what the outside consists of, we simply do not know.
Err on the safe side and look for pasture-fed.
One way to double check you’re buying a humanely raised bird is that she will be smaller, the natural size we see when a chicken is not fattened up with grains and injected with hormones. Think 2-3 pounds, not 4-5.
This is a staple in my home and depending on what we’ve got in store the next day, we will enjoy it with roast leeks or heirloom carrots, or on a day when we’ve got lots of physical activity in store the next day, I’ll serve it up with my oven-baked Paleoista fries.
What’s your favorite veggie to enjoy with chicken?
Click here for the free recipe!
August 8, 2017
Cook It Up on Friday!
You may have been reading about my 1-2-3 Cook Method I’ve been using with my 21-Day Reboot Clients, as well as simply for entertaining.
Recipes with less than three ingredients and often, less than three steps.
Well, now it’s time to turn it into something!
Friday’s blog posts will now be dedicated to an easy recipe based on this very fundamental principle: if we eat food which is fresh and local, we don’t need a gazillion ingredients or steps to make a very delicious and nourishing meal in a very short period of time.
What would you like to see?
Reach out to me on instagram and share the types of veggies, proteins and fats you’d like to see in a recipe and we’ll make it happen!
Let’s all cook together!
July 27, 2017
1-2-3 Cook: Seared Wild Ahi Salad
Yes, you read that correctly- wild ahi, here in LA.
I didn’t know you could find it here, either.
Yet one more lesson learned simply by visiting our beautiful Santa Monica Farmer’s Market.
Wild Local Seafood is just one of many local vendors that I now make frequent purchases from.
Their fish are sustainable and delicious without the environmental repercussions caused by poor fishing practices abroad.
Not to mention just divine to look at.
There’s just something very special about speaking face to face with the very person who caught the fish you’re about to eat… that morning, less than a hundred miles away.
It’s how it should be.
A few weeks back, when shopping there with a client, we chose a two new fish to prepare: Vermillion and Red Rock Cod.
We opted to pan fry the Vermillion in coconut oil, then finish it with a spritz of Meyer Lemon, minced basil and a touch of Himalayan Salt.
We tested out the Rock Cod en papillote over a julienne of carrot and leek with the obligatory splash of chard and a sprig of Rosemary.
Both were absolutely delicious, super fast and simple to prepare and absolutely delish!
Check out my free recipe for this Seared Wild Ahi Salad shown above and prepare a meal for yourself and your family in all of five minutes.
July 21, 2017
A Most Refreshing Water
What do you do when your garden produces too much produce? You get creative!
In my case today, the case in point would be cucumbers. Unlike stocking up in bulk like you might do for proteins purchased at the farmer’s market which can be frozen, or buying large quantities of dried herbs and spices which will last far longer, there’s not too much one can do to save cucumbers from an early demise, should they be in surplus.
So today, when I’d exhausted my outreach to neighbors and friends to share the cukes, I realized I needed something else to do with them.
Here’s what I came up with:
Cucumber Water. Refreshing, still zero sugar and with an ever so slight flavor, slicing them up and throwing them in a glass pitcher with water and other fresh herbs or a bit of citrus of your choosing is an easy way to use up the bounty.
Cucumber Juice. Yep, that’s right ! Run them through your juicer with your choice of fresh leafy greens, then add in some avocado and mint to make a more nutrient dense smoothie that will sustain you far longer than juice alone. And this will work for your vegan friends, too!
Canapes. Who needs gluten-free grain or seed based-crackers when you can use ‘nature’s cracker’? Cut thick slices and top with guacamole, salsa or whatever veggie-fat spreadable concoction you come up with!
Relish. Dice with fresh mint (or puree), add a jalapeño and serve with your favorite local, grilled fish.
Treat your eyes; slice them up and take a 10 minute breather while you do some breath work. Oh, twist my arm!
Not only rejuvenation, cucumbers are good sources of phytonutrients (plant chemicals that have protective or disease preventive properties) such flavonoids, lignans and triterpenes, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits (1)
No need to waste anything, be it animal or plant.
Cheers!
July 18, 2017
1-2-3 Cook (or, rather, blend!): Blueberry Smoothie
I don’t know about you but when it’s this hot out, I don’t exactly feel like eating a hot bowl of soup, or a hot bowl of anything, for that matter.
At the same time, I don’t want to spike my blood sugar with a juice from typical shop around the corner either; in many cases, the sugar content can sometimes be higher than drinking a coca cola.
Even one marked as green can be an issue; Cold Pressed Juicery (2) explains on their site, “Light and refreshing, Citrus 1 is our lowest sugar Citrus juice” and upon reading the label, we learn that the bottle, which has two servings, amounting to a total of 30 grams of sugar, only 4 total grams of protein and zero fat.
And since the truth is that fruit juice contains a high amount of sugar in the form of fructose and our bodies cannot distinguish between sugar from fruits and sugar from candy, once we’ve consumed sugar, it’s all processed the same way (2).
Hello, insulin roller coaster.
The easiest solution, of course, is to take the DIY approach and whip up a smoothie at home, such as my Blueberry Smoothie (click here for the free, easy peasy recipe). With beauty boosting blueberries, thanks to the resveratrol, which is proven to reduce damage from over-sun exposure (3) delicious avocado to provide fat and mouthfeel and a liquid base of chilled brewed herbal or tea, it’s as easy as throwing some stuff in the blender and hitting go.
No time to blend? Keeping some healthy, portable fat options with you in your bag or even in the car can be the deal maker than transforms a blood sugar crash in the making to an in a pinch balanced meal on the go.
My top three include:
Travel sized Bulletproof MCT Oil
Packets of Artisana Coconut Oil
Raw, Sprouted Walnuts (remember not to go nuts with nuts; they can be inflammatory and should definitely be avoided by anyone with autoimmune issues).
Rule of thumb: if we up the fat, lower the sugar and keep real, whole food as 85% of our regiment (and don’t forget to move), we’re on the right path.
(1) https://www.pressedjuicery.com/produc...
(2) http://www.livestrong.com/article/450...
(3) https://draxe.com/health-benefits-blu...
July 15, 2017
Cooking with Purpose
As someone who loves cooking, and everything about cooking, I’m often drawn to learn about restaurants that are implementing new and exciting techniques, up and coming chefs with out of this world creations and of course, places that may be off the beaten path yet are so incredible, it makes going down that path an absolute must-do.
As such, when I stumbled upon mention of one such restaurant doing something different, I was intrigued.
In this case, though, it wasn’t because I’d heard their food was outstanding or that they’d come up with a new twist on a gastronomical delight.
Rather, it is because they’re presenting a unique concept to benefit humanity.. through cooking.
Emma’s Torch, based in the ‘foodie haven of Red Hook, Brooklyn’, they offers paid culinary training to refugees, asylees and survivors of human trafficking. The eatery tailors its learning program to meet the unique struggles these groups face when they come to America and aims to place its students in restaurant jobs within a month of completing the program (1).
Huffington Post explained in an article yesterday that typically, upon arriving in the US, refugees usually receive federal assistance for four months, which is supposed to be enough of a buffer for them to learn English and land a job, but usually, it’s not.
Most refugees struggle to find work in that window of time, go on welfare and then often have to decide whether to take a job that pays less than welfare does and offers fewer benefits, or continue to live off of government handouts.
Programs like this, however, offer a ray of hope in the form of a real opportunity doing something that will allow one not only to develop a career, but to revisit something that in my opinion, is something we as humans can all benefit from learning to do: cook.
To think that for many, cooking has become a burden, a task, a mere chore to add onto the list, right along with mopping the floor.
Can we reframe our perception of cooking, preparing real food for ourselves and those we love in a different light?
A welcome job for some… but a fundamental need for all of us.
If we cook more as a society, we can decrease demand for processed foods, increasing accessibility for real, local, sustainable food.
It’s stories like this that remind us how it’s all so tied together; supporting humanity, supporting the planet and each of us doing our part.
July 10, 2017
Join Me in Malibu on July 11th: A Talk on Healthy Eating by the Beach!
As if one needs an excuse to spend the morning in Malibu overlooking the sea!
I’m so excited to have been invited to speak tomorrow at this month’s meeting of Common Wealth Lifestyle Women’s Breakfast.
I first found out about this inspiring group just over two months ago.
Founded by Patsy Palmer, the organization’s common goal is to collaborate with people to support and create common wealth.
Last month’s meeting began with a guided meditation (I don’t know about you, but this is something I can certainly always benefit from!) and was followed by two talks given by women, each of whom have accomplished incredible things in their respective fields of work.
After we wrapped up, everyone and anyone had the opportunity to connect, engage and learn more about what each of us does.
And while it’s not focused on a specific business category, what I found that everyone I met with there was doing whatever she was going from a deep and soulful level; something one can feel and can only project when truly authentic.
The group’s common interests include parenting, fashion, art, music, food, learning new things and my favorite – living in the moment.
Last but not least? What is listed as ‘common sense’: spiritual practice, yoga, giving back, creative living, keeping it simple and laughing.
Trust me on this one; you won’t want to miss out on this one!
Click here to sign up!
July 6, 2017
1-2-3 Cook: Avocado + Egg Over Easy
Avocado Toast is a thing, without a doubt.
But what if you’d rather have something on the lighter side?
Who ever said bread is a must-have, anyway?
Get more bang for your buck in terms of nutrient density by serving this fibrous fat with one of the most perfect proteins: a runny, poached, farm-fresh egg.
Keep your fat burning on high with this one, the latest in my 1-2-3 Cook Series – less than five steps and five ingredients (and often less than three!)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon coconut oil, such as Artisana
2 large farm-fresh eggs from pasture-fed hen
1 whole ripe organic avocado, halved
Himalayan Pink Salt Crystals
Optional: fresh herbs of your choosing
Instructions
Heat oil in skillet over medium
Crack eggs and cook 1 minute, then flip over and turn off heat (or leave as a one-minute egg)
Gently slide one egg into each avocado half
Garnish with herbs and salt crystals
July 3, 2017
1-2-3 Cook: Grilled Veggies for the 4th
Cooking can be daunting, overwhelming and confusing.
For many, it’s challenging enough to figure out what to eat and where to buy it, let alone how to then carve out time to prepare it.
There are now so many beautiful websites as well as printed cookbooks offering lovely, tasty dishes, but still, if you’re already feeling a bit cautious about ‘donning that apron, a list of 10 plus ingredients followed by two pages of instruction can be enough to opt to go the prepared food route.
This is precisely why I’m presenting recipes based on their ease of prep time without sacrificing an abundance of flavor.
Recipes with less than five ingredients and three steps.
After all, when you buy local and in season, why not focus on tasting the flavors inherent in each protein, vegetable, herb, spice and natural fat?
Click here for my recipe (actually, the more I think of it, it’s more like an un-recipe!) just in time for that 4th of July BBQ you may be planning tomorrow.
Use whichever your favorite cooking fat might be; this time I had a whirl with a new brand, Fat Works, who kindly shared with me some very interesting fats, including Wild Boar Lard!
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