Snacks???...Mascerated Berries to the rescue!!!!

So a "decided" friend of mine asked me, "James, I get hungry a little bit before lunch and right before dinner; what are some good snacks that I can have besides chocolate???" This is the question almost everyone in America and around the world is asking themselves wanting for more....more flavor, more taste, more energy, more than just the "snack machine" in the office lounge...

Lets make one thing clear...stay away from this "thing" you call a "snack machine"...it is NOT your friend...NEVER has been, because:

• it always takes your money
• it's just "available" and gives you "quick-energy" instead of "long-lasting energy"
  
• and you have to work harder, as in "go to the gym to work off the extra weight you are about to gain."

So if I should stay away from the snack machine, "How do we get a small meal/ a small morsel/ a small "something that will carry me through the in-between-meal times", without ruining my appetite for lunch or dinner????...Simple...eat "whole foods" (no, not "Whole Pay-Check")

"Whole Foods" are food stuffs that have not been chemically, genetically or on any other way, tampered with. They are natural, raw produce of nature. Whole foods carry out all the requirements of good diet - absorption, assimilation and elimination, and these are the basis of a healthy body system.

Whole foods provide you with long-lasting energy...and if prepared properly, can make you happy, because you're eating something that not only feeds the body, but the great flavors you'll be enjoying also nourishes the soul because it tastes GREAT!

So here's one of the snacks that I like, berries and citrus, because its Nutritious, Tasty, and most of all, simple!...But before I show you how to make it, lets understand why this snack is good for you...

Strawberries, Blueberries, Citrus
Lets get to know them from a "Good for my Body", point of view (NOTE, click the headings for more detailed information) :

• Health & Nutrition Information for Strawberries
  

  The Romans prized wild strawberries for their medicinal properties. Ounce for ounce, strawberries have more Vitamin C than citrus fruit. According to the American Cancer Society, foods rich in Vitamin C may lower the risk of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.

• Blueberries are an excellent source of vitamin C.
  In fact, a serving contains about 14 mg or almost 25% of daily requirement for Vitamin C. Vitamin C is needed for the formation of collagen and to maintain healthy gums and capillaries. It also aids in the absorption of iron and promotes a healthy immune system

• Orange Juice Has Among The Highest Nutrient Content

  A new study shows citrus juices provide more nutrients per calorie than many other commonly consumed 100% fruit juices.¹ The USDA 2005 Dietary Guidelines encourages you and me to eat more nutrient-dense foods because they contribute to a healthy diet that offers important benefits such as reduced risk for a number of chronic diseases, support for normal growth and development of children, and health promotion for people of all ages

So lets recap, I need snacks that are 1) Good for my Body; 2) Tastes GREAT; 3) Simple....So now you're thinking, "Ok, I know they're good for me, but now what do I do???"...alright, lets make "Tasty Magic" happen:


Citrus Mascerated Berries w/ Mint
Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 pint Fresh Strawberries, tops removed, quartered
1 pint Fresh Blueberries
16 oz of fresh squeezed citrus juice (use Oranges or Tangerines if you like)
Zest of the citrus fruit (4 oz.)
Handful of Mint, sliced

NOTE: if you need more sweetness, add 1 Tbsp agave nectar or 1 Tbsp Palm Sugar to the citrus juice and combine completely (these are Good Sugars, when used in moderation)

Wash all of your fruit. Remove the stems of the Strawberries and quarter them, place in a plastic or non-reactive, sealable container. Add your blueberries, mint, and citrus zest. Pour your Citrus Juice over the berries. Close the container and carefully mix the berries with the juice and the mint. Allow to sit for at least 6 hours to allow the flavors and oils to combine. Serve chilled.

BONUS: save the juice and add soda water to make a refreshing drink or your favorite clear spirit (white rum, vodka, etc.) to make an outstanding cocktail

What's the moral of the story??? Make this refreshing, healthy, and tasty, and sweet snack on a Sunday, bring it to work on Monday, and scoop a small bowl worth of this snack to last you the whole week!...And remember, a GREAT Snack needs to be: 1) Good for your Body; 2) Taste GREAT for your Soul; 3) Simple to make!...So "Just say NO " to the Snack machine, and take control of your life for healthy and flavorful eating!

Be GREAT, One Meal at a Time!
Jameson

Add some spice and flavor to your life with Coconut Oil and Florida Flavors

Alright, so here's another way to incorporate healthy coconut oil into a dish...oh, and by the way, incorporate a "great flavor", namely, Floridian flavors with pasta! This dish will help you lose weight, improve your immune system, healthier skin, and fight against heart disease (to name a few), great tasting (tropical flavors, spice, and bright flavors), and looks great....Sounds good?, Lets get to it!...

So you take your basic pasta recipe - pasta sauce, pasta, and maybe a protein or veggie to go with it...so for the people who don't like their veggies, I'm doing you a favor by making it into a sauce...and if you want something that makes you say, "hmmm?", we're taking what Floridian flavors of citrus, garlic, cumin, tropical fruit, and jalapenos (scotch bonnit peppers, actually, but I can't handle that kind of heat!)(it doesn't make me a bad person, hahaha!)...ok, focus!....

So take your pasta sauce recipe that you like, add the Floridian flavors, and you have something really good...BUT...to make it GREAT, lets add coconut oil and make this actually healthy for you without sacrificing flavor...treat the coconut oil like you would butter, and enjoy!

Floridian Inspired Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce with Rigatoni and Shrimp

Serves 4

Sauce:
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
8 cloves of garlic
4 oz light olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste

Salsa:
3 tbsp light olive oil + 1 crushed garlic clove
2 shallots - finely diced
1 to 2 jalapenos (1 = light spicy / 2 more spicy)
*authentically, you need a scotch bonnit pepper or even a habanero
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup pineapple, finely diced
2 oz lemon juice (use lime juice if you have it)
1/8 tsp cumin
1/4 coriander
salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp coconut oil, unrefined/virgin

16 oz rigatoni pasta, reserve some pasta liquid, if needed

12 ea medium sized shrimp, peeled and devined (frozen or fresh)

2 tbsp, finely chopped Italian parsley

Make the sun-dried tomato sauce, in your food processor, add the garlic, olive oil, tomato paste and sun-dried tomatoes, puree until smooth. Set aside.

Cook your pasta to al dente in salty boiling water - time your pasta accordingly - you want your pasta done when your salsa is done.

Make your salsa, add your olive oil and infuse the oil with the crushed garlic on medium heat, 5 minutes. Remove the crushed garlic and mince into the rest of the garlic. Add the shallot and saute on medium heat until translucent, 2 minutes. Add jalapeno, garlic and saute, 2 minutes. Add pineapples, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, and 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper (watch your salt!) cook for 2 more minutes. Add coconut oil and stir until oil is melted into salsa, 2 minutes.

Combine your dish. Add sun-dried tomato to salsa and stir to combine, cook for 2 more minutes, you want to have a slight cumin flavor, so add more if you need it. Adjust seasoning again as needed (again, watch the salt). Add pasta and reserve some pasta liquid if you need it. Toss pasta and aerate the sauce with the pasta. Turn off heat, and add shrimp and continue to toss until shrimp just turns pink. Add parsley to garnish and enjoy!

If you have crusty bread, use it to pick up the sauce at the end of the dish!

Be GREAT, One Meal at a Time!!!
Jameson

Coconut Oil...not your average saturated fat!

Alright, I haven't done a post for a LONG time, so lets get cracking...

Just back from a trip to Florida and boy, did I eat GREAT!...but more importantly, the flavors of the "Floribbean Diet" are outstanding, in particular, Coconut...and lets concentrate on Coconut Oil..

So lets talk about the flavor first...ahhhhh, "it tastes like coconut????"...No...actually, coconut oil doesn't really give you a "taste",per se, but what it does do is give you the "aroma" of coconut and is very subtle...as long as you use it with other mild flavors, the coconut aroma will be present...as long as you keep your mouth closed (similar to wine tasting), as you breathe, you will experience the coconut aroma to the foods you're eating or cooking in this case...so it's really a treat to all of a sudden have a "pina colada moment" while you're enjoying your sauteed fish or chicken...NOTE: please use the "unrefined or Virgin" oils...and it's a "medium heat cooking oil" so no deep frying...treat it exactly you would with butter...

Now to the health benefits:

Check out this website Organicfacts.net, for more detailed information:

• maintaining cholesterol levels
• weight loss
  
• increased immunity / antioxidants
• proper digestion and metabolism
• relief from: kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength.
  

So what's my point???...Without getting in trouble with trademarks, but, Coconut Oil "tastes great, less filling"!!!!...Lots of Flavor with even more Health Benefits!...need to work on that slogan!...

So look for Coconut oil in your stores, and treat it like butter in your cooking, baking, etc. And you'll also be doing your body a favor by making it healthier, stronger, and happier!!!!...

Here's a dish I made that was inspired by my trip:

Sauteed Mahi Mahi in Coconut Oil with a Lemon, Cumin, Cayenne and Shallots, with Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli


Be GREAT, One Meal at a Time!
Jameson