Beef Stir Fry with Cauliflower Rice

A stir fry meal is simple, quick, and usually ready to eat within 30 minutes or so.  When your schedule is super busy, but you still want a home cooked meal, try stir frying.  Your family will love it! 

 

Skillet View

Grated Cauliflower



 Ready to Eat

 

Beef Stir Fry with Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients:

 

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 red onion, sliced

1 lb tri tip steak, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb Seasoning

1/2 green bell pepper, sliced

1 - 2 cups chopped broccoli

1 Tomato, diced

1 cup green beans

1 cup sliced squash

1 Tbsp fresh garlic, grated

1/4 cup or so of Italian Dressing

1 head cauliflower, grated into small pieces

1 Tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

In a large skillet heat 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add onions and sauté until onions are soft. Add steak and cook until meat is cooked through.

Add remaining vegetables. Continue cooking until peppers begin to get soft but are not losing their color.

Add Italian Dressing and stir to combine.

In another large skillet heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in pan until hot. Add grated cauliflower (Use a food processer or Ninja Master Prep.).  Allow to cook for a few minutes, then stir. You want the cauliflower to be lightly wilted. The idea is to cook the water out of the cauliflower to yield a rice-like consistency.

Serve the beef stir fry over cauliflower rice.

 

 







Fruity Chicken Salad

I love salads!  I will eat them for breakfast sometimes.  Weird, huh?  Not for me!  It's a nutritious meal  packed with lots of fiber that keeps me full until lunch.  It's also simple and quick.  I usually keep my veggies cleaned,  cut and placed in a Ziploc bag in the fridge.  When I'm ready for a salad I grab a bowl and start layering the ingredients. Enjoy!
 

Recipe
  3        Romaine Lettuce Leaves 
1/2 c    Tomatoes (diced)
1/2 c    Cucumber (diced)
​1/2 c    Grilled or Roasted Chicken
1/2  c   Granny Smith Apple (diced)
2 tbsp  Feta Cheese
2 tbsp  Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
2 tbsp  Ranch Dressing
 
 
Directions:
Layer each ingredient in a plate and add dressing.

Salmon Croquettes

If you're looking for something quick and yummy,  Salmon croquettes is the way to go.  From preparation time to eating is less than 30 minutes. You don't have to "drown" your salmon croquette in cooking oil.  Just lightly spray a pan or griddle and cook over medium to low heat.   You'll save on the calories at best!

 

Salmon Croquettes

Ingredients:
15 ounces canned salmon, drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked salmon
1 tbsp Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper Seasoning
1 tbsp Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb Seasoning
2 tbsp meal
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼  cup chopped onions
¼ cup chopped green bell peppers
PAM Olive Oil Spray

 Preparation:

1. Spray PAM Olive Oil to lightly coat a nonstick skillet. Sauté onion and green bell pepper; until softened, about 2 minutes.
2. Place salmon in a medium bowl. Flake apart with a fork; remove any bones and skin. Add egg and mix well. Add the onion mixture, seasoning, and meal; mix well. Shape the mixture into 8 patties, about 2 1/2 inches wide.
3. Lightly coat a griddle or skillet with PAM. Heat over medium heat. Add 4 patties and cook until the undersides are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a wide spatula, turn them over onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining patties.
4. Serve salmon cakes with a side salad or your favorite vegetable.

 

 

Toxic Overload

Prescription after prescription, sadly this is what most Americans have resulted to – a bunch of pills that treat one symptom after another without getting to the root cause.  Have you noticed lately that the cost of health insurance has increased, but the amount of time spent talking with your Doctor during an office visit is decreased?  The next time you go to the doctor, notice the actual amount of time spent in conversation about your health. On average, it’s about fifteen minutes or less.  And in most cases you leave with another prescription to be filled.

 

The truth is most aliments come from having a poor diet with little to no exercise.  America! The land of plenty where you can have whatever you want in excess, without limit, and all you can eat. What in the world are we thinking?  Wake up America!  We’re becoming a body of toxic waste – a breeding ground for disease. Isn’t it time that we take responsibility for our own health?  How bad does it have to get before something clicks to trigger change? 

 

We have the power to change, but we have to be willing to do so.  Make a commitment to yourself. Start with baby steps.  Incorporate more vegetables and fruit in your diet.  Eat less meat and less dairy. Incorporate some form of exercise into your day.  Drink more water without adding additives.  Listen to your body.  It will heal itself if given the chance.    

 

Juicing for Health

Juicing is an ideal way to start the day.  The regular consumption of fresh vegetable juice is one of the very best gifts that you can give to your body. Buying fresh fruit and vegetables is important to building a healthy body and mind. Freshly juiced vegetables give your body an instant boost of nutrients, enzymes, vitamins and minerals in a form that the body can easily assimilate, absorb and digest – in fact, studies have shown that the nutrients from juiced vegetables are within our bloodstream within 30 minutes of consumption! At the most basic level, juicing allows us to add so many more vegetables to our daily diet, and to up the amount of raw food we consume giving the body energy and boosting the immune system and the body’s cleansing process.

Joe Cross, in his film documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, can attest to the health benefits of juicing. He discovered a whole new body by vowing to change his life and his health by only drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices for 60 days. When Cross started filming, he was 100 pounds overweight, on multiple prescription drugs and suffering from an autoimmune disease. He drastically altered his lifestyle to tap into the body’s natural healing abilities by juicing.

After watching the film I was inspired to give it a try.  I juiced for 45 days and lost 33 pounds. During the 45 days I experienced the removal of lots of guck and grime from several extremities as my body cleansed itself.  Afterwards, my skin looked clearer having a certain glow about it.  My eyes were whiter, my tongue pinker, my nasal cavities clear, and my stomach flatten.  I had not felt this good since high school.  I like the result such that I've made juicing a regular part of my life.



Watch Joe's documentary



Denise's Apple Chicken Salad

I love salads!  I will eat them for breakfast sometimes.  Weird, huh?  Not for me!  It's a nutritious meal  packed with lots of fiber that keeps me full until lunch.  It's also simple and quick.  I usually keep my veggies cleaned,  cut and placed in a Ziploc bag in the fridge.  When I'm ready for a salad I grab a bowl and start layering the ingredients. Enjoy!
Recipe
  3        Romaine Lettuce Leaves 
1/2 c    Tomatoes (diced)
1/2 c    Cucumber (diced)
​1/2 c    Grilled or Roasted Chicken
1/2  c   Granny Smith Apple (diced)
2 tbsp  Feta Cheese
2 tbsp  Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
2 tbsp  Ranch Dressing
 
 
Directions
Layer each ingredient in a plate and add dressing.

Getting Your Healthy Life Started

Healthy Regimen

HEALTH LIFESTYLE

Getting your healthy life started can be overwhelming especially when you don't know what to focus on first.  But it doesn't have to be complicated.  It's simply making a healthy choice with your next meal or deciding to take a brisk walk today instead of putting it off.  If you usually eat a candy bar or something sweet with every meal, skip a desert for one meal.  If fast foods are your staple, choose a home cooked meal instead.  Remember, you’re taking a life long journey of being good to your body by eating nutritious foods that benefit the body instead of junk foods that feed your emotions.  Planning will be important to your success so grab a notebook and start creating your personal eating and exercise plan for the next 21 days.  It's takes 21 days to form a habit!  Here are a few basic things to get you started.*

• Feed Your Mind - Where the mind leads, the body follows.  Feed your mind with positive affirmations such as, "I choose to feed my body nutritious foods today and everyday; I exercise daily because it is tied to my overall health and well being"  to become "health" conscious.  When you develop a mental picture of what you want your healthy life to look like, your mind will help to realize it.  Find a picture of when you were your healthiest and place it where you can see it often.  Reminisce how you felt at that time and what you were able to do better as a result.  This will get your creative juices flowing.  
• Eat More Vegetables - Foods that are alive and in their most natural state can provide the greatest levels of minerals, vitamins, and enzymes to the body.   Write a list of vegetables that you like and of those you want and should add to your healthy regimen.  Use cooking methods of steaming, boiling, broiling, or lightly sautéing.  Or just simply eat them raw.
• Move More - Look for opportunities to move more.  Small bursts of energy add up during the day.  Instead of using the elevator try taking the stairs.  Park farther away to get more steps in.  Enjoy a 15 min power walk at break time.  Join a gym or find a workout buddy.  Just get moving! 
• Read the Label - Become knowledgeable about the foods you eat. Read every label to know what you are eating. Pay close attention to sodium, sugar, and fat levels in foods and avoid any that are in the medium to high range.  Beware of marketing labels of Fat Free, Low Carb, Whole grains, and 100 Calories.  Some are not all they are cracked up to be so read the ingredients.  And remember, nothing taste as good as being healthy feels.
• Journal - Keep track of your progress.  Jot down your daily food intake so you're able to see what you're eating and how much you're moving.  Also, journal your thoughts of how you look and feel and what you're learning about yourself on the journey.

 

*REMEMBER TO CONSULT WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE EXERCISING OR STARTING ANY HEALTH REGIMEN.

 

Health Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water

Lemon Water

FOOD FRUIT WATER

Drinking lemon water first thing in the morning can do wonders for your body.  Lemons are packed with natural vitamins and minerals that are key to your inner and outer beauty regime as well as your general health.  Lemons are high in vitamin C, thereby adding a healthy boost to your immune system.  Lemon water is a great tonic to the liver aiding in the releasing of toxins to prepare it for the toxins of the day.  If you are prone to water retention lemon water is a natural diuretic for reducing bloating and swelling.  Although lemons are acidic they have an alkaline affect in the body in balancing PH levels.  A benefit to having an alkaline body as opposed to acidic is clearer, softer, more supple skin.  I've been drinking lemon water for some time now and have noticed a big difference in my joints.   I have less pain, can bend my knees more easily, and have less swelling.  

Here's the recipe I use:

16 oz glass of purified water

1 Lemon (squeezed)

I don't use a sweetener, just plain ole lemon and water!