Garlic and Summer Vegetable Kelp Noodles

Ingredients
Serves 2-4

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large summer squash, cut into . rounds
2 handfuls mushrooms (any kind, white, crimini, shiitake, etc.)
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil (or any herbs you have on hand)
1 bulb of fennel, green ends discarded and the white bulb sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 package kelp noodles

Directions
Remove the kelp noodles from the package and rinse well under cold water. Drain and set aside.

Slice all vegetables. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and when it’s warm, add the sliced garlic.

Cook until the garlic becomes slightly browned and fragrant, then toss in the sliced squash, mushrooms and fennel. Continuously shake the pan, or keep stirring with a wooden spoon, to prevent the garlic from burning.

Add the kelp noodles and stir for a few more minutes, using a pair of tongs to toss all the ingredients together. Add the basil, letting it wilt, which should be just about when the noodles are perfectly warm.

Remove from heat and season to taste with sea salt. Garnish with any additional fresh herbs and pine nuts. Serve and enjoy!

Slow Simmered Chicken With Chard, Mushrooms and Onions with Cherries

Ingredients
Serves 2

1 lb free-range, grass-fed, boneless chicken breast
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch slivers
6 medium white mushrooms (or any kind you want: wild, shiitake, crimini)
1 bunch swiss chard, chopped into small pieces
1 handful cherries, pitted and sliced

Directions
Steam the chard until tender and remove from heat, setting aside. Save the water at the bottom of the steaming pot. Slice the chicken breast into small pieces, roughly 2 inches, saving any juices in the package.

Place (along with any juices) into a large cast iron pan and begin to cook over medium heat. Add the onion slivers and mushroom pieces along with 1/4 cup of the water the chard was steamed over (it will be infused with minerals, vitamins and flavor from the chard!)

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until everything is cooked, but retains the juiciness, about 20-30 minutes.

Serve warm over plated swiss chard and garnish with sliced and pitted cherries (a small handful for each plate).

The 5 Foods for Better Health

1. Cooked Asian Mushrooms (Serving size: Unlimited) 
Mushrooms contain immune system boosting compounds, helping to prevent illness. At less than 100 calories per cup, they’re good for your diet too. But be careful, you’ll lose the benefits if they’re not cooked well. Here are some varieties to try: shitake, maitake, oyster and enoki.

2. Whole Soy Foods (Serving size: 1-2 servings a day)
When you’re shopping, look for whole soy foods over isolated soy protein powders like fake meats with soy isolate. Try eating tofu, tempeh, soy milk, edamame and soy nuts. They’re good sources of protein and help guard against hormonally driven cancers, such as prostate cancer and breast cancer.

3. Cruciferous Vegetables (Serving size: Unlimited)
Cruciferous vegetables belong to the cabbage family. What’s great about these greens is that they protect against cancer. Look for cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, bok choy, kale and brussels sprouts.

4. Healthy Fats (5-7 serving a day; 1 serving is equal to 1 teaspoon of oil)
Not all fats are bad for you – some types actually protect your heart, like omega-3 fatty acids. If you’re looking to increase your intake of good fats and cut out the bad ones, make sure you add these to your grocery list: hemp seeds, flaxseeds, walnut oil, olive oil, hazelnut oil and omega-3 eggs.

5. Whole and Cracked Grains (3-5 servings a day; 1 serving is 1/2 cup cooked)
The good types of whole grain products are ones where you can actually see the grain or large chunks of grain. These foods won’t raise blood sugar the way products made with flour and sugar do. Stock up on basmati rice, wild rice, brown rice, buckwheat, barley, groats and quinoa.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wrap

Ingredients
Serves 4

1 lb ground turkey
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 carrots, finely chopped or grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
2 tbsp wheat-free Tamari
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp coconut nectar
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1 head Boston, bibb lettuce or endive
Chopped cilantro
2 green onions, chopped

Directions
Melt coconut oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.

Add carrots and saute for several minutes.

Add garlic, ginger, turkey and Chinese 5 spice to the pan and saute until turkey is cooked through - about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add water chestnuts and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in tamari, vinegar and nectar. Cook for a couple more minutes, stirring well to thoroughly combine.

Put one scoop of turkey mixture into lettuce leaves. Top with green onions and cilantro.

Sweet And Sour Chicken With Mixed Greens

Ingredients
Serves 2

1/2 cup wheat free tamari or nama shoyu or coconut aminos
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar or balsamic
1/4 cup coconut nectar
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
A knob of fresh ginger (roughly 1 1/2 inches), peeled and minced or 1 tsp ginger powder
2 chicken breasts, sliced into long strips about 3” long and 1/2” thick
1 tsp sesame seeds

Directions
Over low heat in a pan mix the first five ingredients until you have a smooth and thick sauce, roughly 12 minutes.

Lay chicken pieces in the sauce and cook, stirring frequently, until cooked through (about 12-15 minutes).

Add pieces to bowls of mixed greens, pour the remaining sweet and sour liquid equally over each bowl.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve. This works well warm or chilled.

Miso Glaze Salmon

Ingredients
Serves 2

2 wild salmon fillets
3 tbsp gluten-free miso
2 tsp coconut nectar
Olive oil

Directions
In a small bowl mix the miso, coconut nectar and enough olive oil to make it into a thick liquid.

Cover the fillets and broil or pan fry until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Serve warm.

Serve with Roasted Parsnip Fries and Steamed Bok Choy.

Steamed Burgers with Kimchee

Ingredients
Serves 4

1 lb ground meat (you can use ground lamb, chicken, turkey, duck, water buffalo, bison or venison)
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
5-8 white button mushrooms (or any kind you want)
Lettuce leaves
Dijon mustard
Kimchee
Empty tuna cans
Large pot
Steamer basket to fit in pot

Directions
Pulse the ground meat, mustard and parsley in a food processor until well combined and sticking together.

In the empty tuna fish cans, pack a small handful of meat into a burger shape and place them on the steamer basket (you can stack them in a pyramid shape, as long as there’s some air flow around each can) over boiling water and cover the pot. It takes about 10-15 minutes, but check the insides with a fork or knife until they’re cooked to your liking.

Slice the mushrooms and saute in olive oil until tender and brown. Remove from heat.

When the burgers are done, drain the excess liquid from each can (be careful, the steam and cans are hot!).

Use the lettuce leaves as your buns, and layer the condiments with the cooked burgers.
Kimchee is a great addition not only for taste, but the enzymes and alive nature of the fermented food helps digest anything cooked or with meat!

Serve with a Hearty Salad.