-- Simple Smart Nutrition

Grapefruit, Arugula and Fennel Salad With Citrus Dressing

This is a delicious refreshing, zesty salad with the sweet tang of fresh grapefruit and citrus, the bite of arugula and a touch of fennel. Arugula, has powerful cancer fighting compounds in it. Arugula contains anti-cancer compounds known as glucosinolates.

Arugula, like the other cruciferous vegetables in its family tree, also has powerful cancer fighting compounds in it. Arugula contains a group of anti-cancer compounds known as glucosinolates. These compounds are highly active antioxidants and they stimulate natural detoxifying enzymes in the body.

Similar to other dark green leafy vegetables, arugula is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as calcium, magnesium and potassium that help lower blood pressure and keep bones healthy. It’s a good source of iron for healthy red blood cells, and contains plenty of other important phytochemicals such as carotenes and chlorophyll, making it an excellent source of antioxidants as well. For milder tasting arugula, buy the baby arugula, or for more pungent flavor, buy the larger, mature leaves.

The thin, shaved slices of fennel are easiest to do on a good mandoline, or you can use a good, sharp chef’s knife to cut very, very thin slices. Variations on this recipe are delicious, too. I made this the first time without the zucchini and added in some delightful, nutty flavored, raw Swiss Gruyere (Whole Foods carries this) cheese and it was incredible!

This is a delicious refreshing, zesty salad with the sweet tang of fresh grapefruit and citrus, the bite of arugula and a touch of fennel.

Ingredients

½ half small bag of baby arugula (about 4 cups) or more, if desired

1 fennel bulb, white part only, sliced very thinly

1 grapefruit, sectioned

3-4 green onions, sliced thinly

Dressing

2 T of orange juice (fresh squeezed is best)

Juice of 1 lemon or lime

2 T of red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon of sugar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Cut up grapefruit in sections, removing the membrane and saving the juice if possible. Squeeze any extra juice into bowl for salad dressing. Mix up dressing ingredients, and pour over salad right before serving. Serves 4.

A great accompaniment to fish or chicken dishes.

Till next time,

Stay Healthy and Lean!

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.

Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

Amazing Secrets of Ginger, Asian Steak Salad

Warm Asian steak salad, contains fresh ginger in the dressing. Ginger is one of those incredible superfoods.That’s because ginger contains 12 antioxidant compounds more powerful than vitamin E! And, studies show that ginger soothes the body’s inflammatory response…

The salad in the recipe below, contains fresh ginger in the dressing. I love its fresh, zingy flavor. Ginger is one of those incredible superfoods that does many, many good things for your body, including helping your body burn fat efficiently by speeding up your metabolism. Eating ginger every day can give you a real antioxidant boost.

Ginger contains over 25 different antioxidants, which makes it even more effective at fighting free radicals in many different body systems.

Ginger is best known for its ability to reduce nausea and vomiting, as well as motion sickness. In fact ginger is more effective than Dramamine, one of the most common drugs used for motion sickness. And because ginger does not have harmful side effects like many drugs, it is very good for nausea from pregnancy.Studies actually show that just 1 gram of ginger beforesurgery is more effective than the standard anti-nausea medication given for post surgical nausea and vomiting.

Ginger is also a soothing remedy for sore throats from colds and flu because of its antiviral properties. Ginger also helps coughs and is an effective expectorant. Try a tea made with hot water simmered with a few slices of ginger and a small amount of honey and lemon for a soothing tonic when you are sick.Because ginger is such a strong anti-inflammatory, it helps reduce the pain and swelling of arthritis, and muscle aches. Ginger also fights cancer, reduces cholesterol, and prevents blood clots that lead to strokes or heart disease.

That’s because ginger contains 12 antioxidant compounds more powerful than vitamin E! And, studies show that ginger soothes the body’s inflammatory response and promotes healthy circulation as well. Ginger is an excellent digestive aid as well. It really helps get your digestive system moving. And ginger’s zippy flavor also jump starts your metabolism by making you more energetic and burn more calories. Ginger is amazingly versatile and tastes great in many dishes, cooked or raw.

Enjoy this salad tonight!

Salad Ingredients

3/4 lb grass fed sirloin, skirt or tri-tip steak

Mixed organic greens (romaine, arugula, red leaf, etc.)

10-12 pieces of asparagus, trimmed, cooked slightly and cut in 1 inch pieces

1 sweet red pepper, cut in thin strips

½ seedless cucumber, thinly sliced

3 green onions, thinly sliced

Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

Chopped tomato

Toasted sesame seeds or peanuts

Dressing Ingredients

½ cup orange juice

½ Tbsp fresh ginger, minced or grated

½ Tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp honey

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 dash hot pepper sauce (optional)

Directions

Whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour ¼ cup of dressing over steak in a shallow glass dish, turning to coat. Reserve remaining dressing. Grill steak about 3-4 minutes per side (if steak is about 1″ thick). Let steak rest for a few minutes before carving. Slice thinly on the diagonal.

In a serving dish, toss reserved dressing with salad greens, asparagus, red pepper, cucumber, green onions and cilantro. Add steak to top of salad and garnish with sesame seeds or peanuts, and serve. Serves 4.

Enjoy!

Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.

Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

Perfect Paleo Salad Nicoise

This salad is definitely a meal in itself. High in protein, it is very satisfying and incredibly healthy too. It’s the perfect Paleo dinner full of fat burning antioxidants and bursting with nutrition.

And don’t be afraid of the potatoes. An occasional potato is not going to hurt your efforts to stay lean, especially if it is combined with other fibrous vegetables, a healthy fat, and some good quality protein. And potatoes (especially organic ones) are rich in vitamins and minerals as well.

Use good quality fresh greens, as they are loaded with nutrients and antioxidants. I really like to add arugula with its sharp, slightly bitter taste. Arugula is a member of the same family as broccoli, which makes it an excellent fat-burning food, and an excellent source of vitamins A and C, folic acid, calcium, manganese, and magnesium. It’s also a very good source of potassium, iron, zinc, riboflavin, and copper.

Salad
1 big handful of baby greens
1 big handful of baby arugula
2-3 new red potatoes, quartered
½ lb or so fresh green beans or asparagus
2 eggs hard-boiled, quartered
½ cup tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup kalamata or Greek olives
1 lb grilled tuna or 1 can of tuna packed in olive oil
Handful of fresh basil, and capers for garnish

Dressing
1-2 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
1 small shallot, minced
½ cup extra extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Steam green beans lightly until tender crisp and then cool under cold water. Quarter and cook potatoes if necessary and soak in ice water, while you prepare the rest of the salad. Whisk together ingredients for dressing. On a large plate or shallow bowl, place greens on bottom, and arrange potatoes, green beans, eggs, tomatoes, olives and tuna in separate sections on top of greens. Drizzle with dressing and garnish with capers. Serves 2 or 4 smaller servings.
Enjoy!

Till next time, stay health and lean!

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.

Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

Bacon, Blue Cheese, Apple and Arugula Salad

I had this crazy idea for a salad recipe and thought these things would work together. I was right…

I had a crazy idea for a superfood salad recipe and thought these things would work together and I was really not surprised they worked as well as I had thought. I purchased some delcious creamy, nutty raw blue cheese that was just magnificent with the saltiness of the bacon, the bite of the arugula and the tart-sweetness of the apple.

I topped it off with an olive oil, and cinnamon-pear balsamic mixture. You don’t need cinnamon-pear balsamic but a nice, mellow sweet balsamic will do just as well.

I purposely did not include measurements in this recipe, it’s very easy to adjust to whatever size crowd you are serving. Hint: Add more Bacon to gain more popularity! 😉

Dark green leafy vegetables are, calorie for calorie, probably the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene,lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, among many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of healthy omega 3 fats as well.

The standout of all the nutrients in dark green leafies is Vitamin K.

A cup of most cooked greens will give you about 9X the minimum recommended intake of Vitamin K, and even a couple of cups of dark salad greens usually provide the minimum all on their own.

Here ya go…I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. 🙂

Bacon, Blue Cheese, Apple and Arugula Salad

Any combination of Arugula, regular baby greens and/or baby kale

2-4 slices thick sliced natural (no nitrites) bacon, cooked and cut up in small pieces

1/2 to 1 apple, chopped in small pieces (Granny Smith is good, or any tart-crisp apple variety)

Crumbled Blue Cheese (try something exotic here like Maytag Blue or another aged delightfully nutty flavored blue cheese)

Thin sliced red onion

Add greens to large glass bowl, with apple, bacon, and blue cheese sprinkled on top. Drizzle equal amounts of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil on salad and serve.