Showing posts with label salad dressing. Show all posts

Soy Sauce Alternative

Do you have a craving that only a drizzle of salty, earthy soy sauce can cure? The unique flavor of soy sauce or tamari (a version made without wheat) is hard to duplicate, but there IS an alternative: Coconut Aminos! 



While not an identical swap, coconut aminos serve as a natural condiment that can be used as a simple dipping sauce for sashimi, a savory salad dressing, or the perfect marinade.

This sauce is made from coconut tree sap and sea salt, with no other additives. Better yet, it’s raw, so all of those living nutrients, amino acids and enzymes from the tree sap are captured and passed directly along to you in the form of a better-than-the-original substitute for soy sauce. You get health benefits and flavor!

Be careful not to confuse coconut aminos with Braggs liquid aminos, however. Braggs are actually a highly processed form of soy sauce that uses chemical reactions in place of natural fermentation methods. 

Although coconut aminos are a great substitution for soy sauce, coconut aminos do have a high sodium content like soy sauce does, so be sure to keep that in mind if you are watching your salt intake. They also have a slightly sweet taste.  




Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.


Salad Dressing- Homemade is the Way to Go

I love that salad dressing can have a complex flavor when made with such simple ingredients. I also like that it is missing all of the nasty, preservatives and ingredients that are harmful to your health! MSG, added sugar, damaged GMO oils (soybean, canola, sunflower, etc) and a whole bunch of other things I cannot pronounce that are found in most conventional dressings. There is only one dressing I found in a local grocery store I would even consider buying! It's so simple and easy to make your own. Here are a few recipes you should try! :-)  


Balsamic Shallot Vinaigrette Dressing 

Ingredients:

1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 Cup Avocado Oil (You could also use olive oil)
1/2 Lemon – Juiced
1 Small Shallot – Finely Chopped
1 Tbs. Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tbs. Onion Salt 

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and shake until all ingredients are well incorporated. As we all know, oil and vinegar do not stay mixed. Shake well before each use. Keep refrigerated. I recommend making it a day ahead of time and allowing it to refrigerate for 24 hours to let all the flavors come together.






















Raspberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

3/4 c.  extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar or raspberry vinegar
1 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. raw honey or stevia to taste
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 c. fresh or frozen red raspberries
1/4 c. filtered water

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until desired consistency is reached.
2. Store extra dressing in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.


Lemon Tahini Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup tahini
2 tablespoons raw honey or stevia
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, honey and garlic in a blender, Blend, shake or whisk until smooth.
Season with sea salt and pepper.


Spicy Tropical Citrus Vinaigrette 

Ingredients:
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup fresh pineapple
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 orange squeezed for juice
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp minced jalepeno pepper
2 sliver red onion
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions: 

Process all ingredients in a blender until well combined and then drizzle in olive oil at a lower speed.

Serving suggestion:  Serve over fresh greens (spinach, spring mix), red onions, pineapple chunks, organic bell peppers and add grilled chicken or salmon if desired.

CLICK HERE for more clean eating recipes.


Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.





Nutritional Yeast- Yellow Flakes of Goodness!

With 18 amino acids, nutritional yeast is a complete protein. It is up to 55% high quality protein and contains 15 minerals!!

Nutritional yeast is a rich source of vitamin B complex that helps in managing stress levels, maintaining a good metabolic rate, preventing cancer of the pancreas and ensuring healthy skin. Vitamin B12 (deficient in most vegetarian foods), is added in certain varieties of nutritional yeast. This vitamin is produced separately from bacteria and then added to nutritional yeast to increase its health benefits.

Other health benefits of nutritional yeast include:

-It maintains ideal intestinal ecology.
-It improves blood production.
-It helps in maintaining optimum cholesterol levels.
-It improves liver health and function.

Nutritional yeast flakes or powder, has a nutty, cheese-like flavor which makes it very popular. It is favored by many as a cheese substitute and can be found at any natural health food store. I buy it in the bulk section at The Wedge.

Here are some ways in which nutritional yeast can be included in the diet:


*Use it as a topping for popcorn, instead of butter and salt.
*Put in on your scrambled eggs! (One of my favorites!)
*Use nutritional yeast for its cheesy flavor in pizzas, pastas and casseroles.
*Add to soup to give it a creamy taste without adding milk.
*Can be used with gravies and sauces.
*Mix it with vinegar and oil and use as salad dressing.



Copyright, 2012, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness MN, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or jackieamart@hotmail.com.

As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is. www.optimumwellnessmn.com