Salmon with Mango Salsa

Even though it’s not seasonal or local, mango is one of my all-time favorite fruits! It brings to mind sunny sandy beaches and steel drum music. When I found this recipe online here–  I had to try if for myself with a few slight modifications. It looked like a little more kitchen prep than I’m used to doing but with good music and a cold beverage, the chopping became a meditation. Peeling and slicing juicy mangoes made me want to go to an island right away!!

For the salsa-  Chop one half red onion and 2 garlic cloves. I’m going to tell you upfront the red onion was TOO overpowering for me. If you LOVE onion then use half, if you want it milder use about 1/4 of the onion.

Peel and dice 2 fresh ripe mangoes……yummmmmm

I substituted a half red pepper instead of using jalapeno. 1. Because I thought it would look pretty 2. I forgot to buy a jalapeno at the store which may have been subconsciously deliberate. Not a big fan, I’m a red pepper girl if anything at all.

Add chopped fresh cilantro. As much as you’d like. Dash of white wine vinegar, olive oil and the juice of 1 lime.

Stir well and let chill.

Prepare fish by placing in a foil “envelope” and top with a drizzle of olive oil and seasonings of your choice. I sprinkled with cumin and set some fresh cilantro on top. Place in 350 oven for 25-30 minutes. The steam will keep it moist and soak up the flavors of the spices.

Serve salsa over fish. I had a side of greens cooked in coconut oil for even more tropical flavor.

Juice Love

When I gave my sweetie his Valentine’s cookies I included a card that listed the many things I admire in him. It included things like….he’s kind, compassionate, smart, loves my dogs, etc. But the one thing I’m really smitten with right now is his bad-ass 1980’s era juicer-ator. He brought it over and left it for me to use knowing how much I’ve been wanting to juice. This is no fancy pants, modern-day, slick juicer with celebrity endorsements.

This is a bad mamma-jamma that he has had for over 20 years and it’s still going strong. This was juicing before juicing was cool.  The name “Acme Supreme JUICErator” is enough to make it ultra-cool and reminds me of something from the old roadrunner-coyote cartoons.

The Juicerator in action!

Needless to say-I have been juicing like crazy every morning. It’s SO different than my thick, pulpy blender juices I used to make. Although I will still drink those occasionally.

My favorite right now is Beet/Carrot/Apple/Ginger

This morning I didn’t have beets so I did Carrot/Apple/Celery/Ginger

I always had a twist of lemon for some tartness and more Vitamin C.

Ginger provides a nice spicy bite and is a natural anti-inflammatory that aids in digestion.

Who needs coffee with these fresh vitamins, phytonutrients,  and plant energy going directly into my bloodstream, bypassing any heavy digestive work?

I can’t wait to try more combinations like Pear/Pineapple/Basil and Spinach/Apple/Beet

I feel so in love with this big, sturdy, healthy machine and I can’t wait to see it every morning when I wake up! Oh yeah, I like the owner too……

Easy Quinoa Pilaf

Quinoa is a main staple of my diet. It’s actually a seed,  but is considered a whole grain. It also is a complete protein so it’s good for vegetarians.  I love it because it’s so versatile. Once you cook up a batch you can divide and use it in different ways. I usually make some for dinner and then save some for breakfast topped with honey, raisins and cinnamon. This is a good alternative if you are sensitive to oats.

Be sure to rinse the dried quinoa thoroughly before cooking to remove the natural residue that can be disruptive to some digestive systems. If you notice a bitter taste at all on your quinoa then you probably didn’t rinse it well enough. It is a naturally occurring coating so it’s not dangerous, just doesn’t taste good.

I let my quinoa steam in a covered pot for about 20 minutes after bringing to a boil.

I added some spices, including tumeric, pepper, and dried garlic.

I added a tblspn of nutritional yeast for a “cheesy” creamy flavor. Nutritional yeast is a source of B vitamins and good for vegetarians who may be lacking in that nutrient. Can’t wait to cook with this more often!

I put in  lentils and leftover roasted veggies that included onion, cauliflower, broccoli, and beets and topped with chopped walnuts. Try: tomatoes, corn, black beans and cumin for a mexican flavor. Or edamame, carrots, mushrooms and tamari for an asian flavor.

Stir well and bake for about 15 minutes to warm up and blend together.

I am going to come right out and say I used too much tumeric which is why it’s so YELLOW.  I got so excited about this healing spice I was overzealous in my sprinkling. Quinoa soaks up flavor like tofu, so go easy on whatever you add to it. Making small (or big) mistakes is part of intuitive, creative cooking- you learn as you go!

Check out my article on being brave in the kitchen and learning to trust your instincts here!

100 posts- let’s celebrate!

This is the 100th post on CreateWholeHealth!

It feels like it should be special in some way to celebrate the significance. I thought about the following post ideas for this momentous occasion:

“100 things about Me”– too self-absorbed. I like to cook and do yoga. From there the list would go into meaningless details of my life like “I played Adrian in our 4th grade satire of the movie Rocky and I had a mad crush on the boy who played the lead so the final scene was very real to me”

“100 things I love”– too long and probably boring for most of you. Would include things like hello kitty stickers, the smell of magic markers, and puppies.  You may mistake me for a 7th grade girl after reading it.

“100 ways to use honey”– Good idea but off the top of my head I can only think of 24 that make sense and aren’t too messy.

“100 ways to cook healthier”– hmmmm, that’s sort of what I’ve been doing this whole time, right? Hint: EAT YOUR VEGGIES!

“100 places I’d like to visit”- super short list; the beach. Any beach. Done.

“100 yoga poses for your pet” I think they already do them all on their own?

Shivasana

“100 great books” I like this idea but I’m too lazy to go through all my bookshelves. Here’s a good one though:

I highly recommend this book!!!

“100 things I’m grateful for” This is actually something I did one year. I kept a Gratitude List and wrote in it almost every night what I was thankful for, whether it was something simple like “hot coffee” or big like “my family” The tricky part is to even be grateful for the annoying little things that teach us great lessons.

Thank YOU for joining me on this journey of my love for healthy, real food, fitness, yoga, inspirational living and pretty colorful photos of the stuff I cook! I can’t wait for the next 100!