HOT SUMMER RECIPE

Now that Amazon has purchased Whole Foods, they have announced that they are keeping the products the same, and are also going to….wait for it….reduce the prices this WEEK!!!!
With that in mind, the healthiest foods will be more accessible to all of us.  The other grocery stores will have to get competitive, as well.   I truly believe that this is the beginning of a HEALTHY/CLEAN FOOD REVOLUTION. This Revolution with 3 phases is what I want my clients to start thinking about when you plan your family meals.  The 3 phases of this Revolution will be: 1-(we're seeing this) Access to affordable, clean, healthy, properly labeled food for everyone; 2-Knowing how to remove toxins and stress from our bodies and lives; 3-Using our genes and gene testing to determine which foods will feed our own personal nutritional deficiencies and determining which foods make us (not others) sick.  This last part, the genetic one, will be getting us closer to the fountain of youth and the eradication of obesity, and disease, both mental and physical. 

All of this has prompted me to share my staple, family recipes that truly nourish your mind and body.  These are recipes that my 19 year-old son has cooked with me this past summer and will be cooking for himself in his new kitchen in San Diego.  Since I promised the recipes to him and want to teach him about toxins that he can avoid, I am sharing tips about cooking utensils, food storage, etc.  I decided that I might as well type them up nicely for my daughter in Philadelphia. She has a new kitchen, also, and we all know how much fun it is to cook in a new place before the novelty wares off!
This is the first of many recipes to come.  I hope that everyone enjoys them! 

HOT SUMMER RECIPE

Cheryl’s Famous Organic Tacos 04/18

Ingredients: Taco seasoning – USE ORGANIC ”AND” GLUTEN-FREE SPICES!!

o   1 tbsp chili powder

o   ¼ tsp garlic powder (or garlic powder with parsley)

o   ¼ tsp onion powder

o   ¼ tsp crushed red pepper

o   ¼ tsp dried oregano

o   ½ tsp paprika                       

o   1 ½ tsp ground cumin

o   1 tsp sea salt (I also added a little garlic sea salt grind)

o   1 tsp black pepper

o   Add ¼ cup water to simmering meat and spices

·      1 lb 100% grass-fed beef (must say 100%)

·      1 or 2 red bell peppers

·      1 or 2 onions

·      2-4 tbsp coconut oil (for sautéing peppers and onions)

·      1 organic avocado (cut wedges)

·      1 organic tomato (sliced)

·      Organic spinach, arugula, iceberg – leafy greens or your choice

·      Organic shredded cheese, I like white cheddar

·      1-cup organic salsa

·      Optional:

·      Organic full fat sour cream or plain, full fat Greek yogurt

Instructions:

Sauté beef until brown, add spices for sauce, add water and let simmer.  You may add sliced red bell pepper and onion to meat sauce or sauté them separately in coconut oil.

Plate greens, add meat sauce, then cheese on top to melt it, follow with onions and pepper if not already in meat sauce, then avocado, tomatoes, salsa and Greek yogurt or sour cream on top.  You may add more crushed red pepper or HOT salsa to spice it up. 

Tips:·      All spices must at least say GF on the label. Preferably GF and organic 

·      Prefer all organic spices, “natural” doesn’t cut it, it means nothing

·      Beef must be “100%” grass-fed

·      Veggies must be organic or at least follow the “clean 15 and dirty dozen rule” ---- GOOGLE IT!

·      Spinach is the leafy green highest in the BEST nutrients. Use arugula if you are trying to introduce more bitter in your diet to curtail sweet cravings.  It’s your best defense!

·      Green yogurt is a better choice than sour cream

·      It’s okay to skip all dairy, which is how it eat it – no cheese or yogurt, or sour cream.

·      Use stainless steel pan or cast iron skillet

·      Use wooden cooking tinsels, no plastic

·      Use glass storage containers for leftovers or at LEAST BPA free plastic

·      Use cold-pressed, unrefined, organic coconut oil

·      By all means double or triple this recipe and batch cook the main, cooked ingredients, then all you have to do is pull out the veggies to slice and dice after work/class!

·      You may use a GF wrap, etc. but I do not recommend it.  There are usually many other undesirable ingredients in these types of products.

I WELCOME all feedback: suggestions, substitutions and of course any and all praise!