Yoga

Even though we are now used to talking about Yoga as if it were a form of exercise, like Pilates or kickboxing, it is actually much more then that. (Image from nirvanahotyoga.com )

sivananda.org

Yoga is a very old Eastern practice.  It's part exercise, part meditation, and part religion.  Because of it's ability to not only create flexibility in the body but also peace in the mind, it has become very popular in North America as well as around the world.

yoganonymous.com

Yoga can be practiced in many different ways.  Some, for instance, believe in practicing Yoga in an extremely hot room - something that I would not recommend for a beginner.  However there are many exercises that are appropriate for those who have never done this before and would just like to try it for themselves.

Here are several videos that will give you a good idea of what Yoga is all about :

If you're still not sure it's for you, there are many books that describe it very well.  Here are just a few of the many that are available.



And once you are ready to try it, you can choose from videos like these to do in the comfort of your own home.

The nice thing about Yoga is that you really don't need much in the way of equipment. Just get an exercise mat and put it down somewhere beautiful and peaceful and you're ready to go.  Some people don't even use a mat, preferring to do their exercising on their deck or even on the beach.



If you'd like some company or instruction, you can also check for local classes.  Many communities now offer them - both group and individual.

Because of the stress reduction and flexibility that Yoga offers, it has become very popular with Baby Boomers who are determined to keep youthful, but getting into this - like any other exercise - earlier rather than later is certainly better. So, whatever age you happen to be, taking up Yoga will probably be of benefit to you.

Image from criticsatlarge.ca

“Life isn't about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself.”   - George Bernard Shaw

Enchiladas

Enchiladas are a great way to indulge your cravings for Mexican food, and making them with egg crepes will ensure that they aren't too heavy.  (Image from boca-deli.com  )

To make the Enchiladas

Ingredients :

-       - 10 large egg crepes

-       -  1 enchilada sauce recipe (see below)

-      -   2 cups of cooked shredded chicken or meat

-      -   2 cups of grated cheddar cheese

Directions :

-      -   Preheat your oven to 350’F

-      -   Grease a casserole or baking dish that will hold 5 rolled crepes.  You will be making 2 layers.

-      -   Mix the chicken or meat with one cup of the cheese.

-      -   Divide this mixture among the egg crepes and rollup burrito-style.

-      -   Place a single layer in the bottom of your dish and top with a small amount of the sauce.

-      -   Add a second layer of rolled egg crepes on top of the first.  Cover with the rest of the sauce.

-      -   Sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese evenly over the tops of the crepes.

-      -   Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

If you prefer your enchiladas a bit crispy on the edges, make one layer in a larger pan, and when covering with sauce have some of the edges exposed.

To serve, place a couple of enchiladas on each plate and top with salad greens, chopped tomato, chopped onion, sliced olives, and more grated cheese if desired.

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients :

-      -   3 tablespoons of butter

-      -   1 tablespooon of arrowroot

-      -   2 cups of chicken broth

-       -  1 cup of sour cream

-      -   2 ½ tablespooons of taco seasoning 

Directions :

-       -  Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat.

-     -    Meanwhile, add the arrowroot to the chicken broth and mix until combined. (A small whisk works really well for this.)

-       -  Add the chicken broth mixture to the butter an cook for a couple of minutes until it starts to thicken, stirring all the time.

-       -  Add the taco seasoning and the sour cream, then turn down the heat to low and simmer for a couple more minutes.

Since they are so light, when you indulge in these enchiladas, you won't come away from the table feeling like you need to take a nap.

“Life isn't about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself.”   - George Bernard Shaw

Crispy Paleo Taco shells

Here is how you can use my nacho recipe to make great taco shells.

Tacos 

Makes one taco shell

Ingredients :

-  1 to 1 1/2 cups of grated processed cheese (I like to use TexMex mix, but cheddar will work well too.)

For toppings:

-  naco beef or Cilantro Lime chicken

-  sour cream

-  salsa
-  more grated cheese

Directions :

For nacos, the microwave is ideal, but because for tacos you need to have the centre cooked as well, it's better to use a skillet.

• In a 9" non-stick skillet, sprinkle the cheese in a circle, making sure there are only small gaps.
• Heat slowly over medium heat, until the cheese starts to melt and bubble.  When it is evenly browned, slide it onto a couple of sheets of paper towel to blot the excess oil.
• Now slide it onto a sheet of parchment paper. 

• Grasping the edges of the parchment paper, slowly fold the cooked cheese in half until you have a taco shape.  Leave to cool completely.  
• Fill with meat or chicken, sour cream and salsa.  Serve with a side salad.

“Life isn't about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself.”   - George Bernard Shaw

2 Meals from 4 Legs - Budget-Friendly Organic Chicken

So many people thing that buying grass-fed beef and organic chicken will wreck their food budget.  This just isn't true.  There are many ways to get the benefits of better quality food without spending a fortune, and today I'm going to show you one of them.

Often when you are buying chicken - organic or other -  you will find that chicken legs are very inexpensive.  This is because a lot of people prefer breast meat, but with the right recipes in your repertoire, chicken legs can create wonderful meals.  Here is how I create two meals with just 4 chicken legs :

MEAL 1 - CHICKEN SOUP WITH EGG NOODLES
serves 4

Remove the skin from the legs and put it into your freezer stock bag. Put the legs into your slow cooker.  Add  a cup of chopped celery, a cup of chopped onion, a cup of peas and a cup of chopped carrots. Top this with a container of organic chicken broth - home made or store bought.

Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8, then remove the legs. Take off all the meat.  Shred 1/2 a cup of it and add it back to the soup.  Reserve the rest (You should have about 3 cups.)  Put the bones into the stock bag.

Make egg noodles with a teaspoon of Italian seasoning, a tablespoon of coconut flour, 2 eggs, and a little water.

Now you have your first meal.  You will find this surprisingly filling as the egg noodles are full of egg protein.  Serve it with a big mixed salad and you have a great cold weather weekday dinner.

Here is a little trick I learned while I was a waitress for carrying soup bowls without spilling.  Put a folded paper towel onto a small plate, then set the soup bowl on this.  Not only does this give a nice presentation, it will also stop the bowl from moving as you walk and you won't burn your hands on the hot bowl trying to carry it.

Okay, so now you have a container of cooked chicken meat in your fridge, here is the second meal ...


MEAL 2 - TUSCAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE
serves 4

casserole without cheese

Ingredients :

• 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded

• 1- 6 oz jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

• 6 slices bacon, chopped & cooked

• 4 large chopped sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil)

• 12 chopped cherry tomatoes (You can also use regular tomato, but cherries have more flavor)
• ½ a small red onion, chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup black olive Tapanade (or chopped black olives)
• ¼ cup mayonnaise (give recipe)

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup  grated Parmesan

casserole with cheese topping

Directions :

·       Preheat oven to 425 F.

·       Chop and cook the bacon.  Then use 2 tablespoons of the fat to grease

a medium size casserole dish. (about 4 cup capacity)

·       Mix the shredded chicken, chopped artichoke hearts, cooked bacon, chopped sun dried tomatoes, chopped tomatoes and chopped red onion.  Add the black olive tapanade and mayonnaise and mix well.  Season with salt and pepper. 

·       Put into prepared casserole dish.  Spread the mozzarella evenly over the top then sprinkle with the Parmesan. 

·       Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and started to brown.

So now you have your second meal and again all you need is a big salad to go with it.  This casserole is so saucy and cheesy you can serve it just on a plate of salad greens like I often do and forget about any dressing.  

“Life isn't about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself.”   - George Bernard Shaw

Paleo Nachos

One of the hardest things to replace when you are on a Paleo or low carb diet are nachos and tacos.  Egg crepes are great for replacing flour and corn tortillas. These work in a lot of Mexican recipes, but they do not work for Nachos or Tacos because they just aren't crispy enough.

My version of nachos came about after a lot of trial and error. I tried adding all kinds of ingredients to the cheese, but found in the end that the simpler I kept the recipe the better it was.

If you miss the crunch of those bought Nachos that you know you shouldn't be eating, these will give you a very similar taste and texture without all the processed "carbage".

Even though I prefer good quality natural cheeses for most of my recipes, in this case the processed version is really better because it has the right melting quality.  I would keep this as a treat dish anyway and not eat it every day.


Nachos 

Makes one serving of nacho chips

Ingredients :

-  1 1/2 to 2 cups of grated processed cheese (I like to use TexMex mix, but cheddar will work well too.)

For toppings:
-  baby greens (I like to use Arugula)
-  sour cream
-  salsa

Directions :

• First, take out your glass microwave turntable.  Then cut a length of parchment paper that is big enough to cover it. 
•  Lay the microwave turntable on top of the parchment paper.  With a pencil, draw a circle around the turntable.  This will give you the outline you want to cut out.  Then, with a pair of scissors, cut about 1/2" inside the outline so the paper fits nicely onto your turntable.
• Put the parchment paper, with a double layer of paper towel under it, onto your turntable.  The cheese will be very greasy when you cook it.  This will help soak up a lot of the grease.  Trim off the corners of the square paper towel so they don't interfere with the microwave turntable turning.

• Sprinkle the cheese around the edge of the parchment paper.  You can sprinkle it a couple of inches in, but don't put any in the middle.  In a normal microwave, this part won't cook as well and won't get crunchy enough for your nachos.  Also, don't make the cheese too thick.  You want the end product to be lacy and crispy.
• Now put the turntable back into your microwave and cook the cheese for 3 minutes.  Check to make sure all the cheese is crunchy and hard.  If it isn't, cook for another 30 seconds.

• Remove the cooked nachos and blot with another sheet or two of paper towel to remove as much grease as possible.
• Leave to cool a minute or two.  When cool enough to handle, tear or cut into small pieces. 

• Serve your nachos with a layer of sour cream spread on them.  (This is the "glue" that will keep the rest of the toppings from falling off.  It will also cut the spice of the salsa.)
• Top the sour cream with some greens and then some salsa.

These Nacho chips are also great as a snack with my super easy Mexican dip.

“Life isn't about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself.”   - George Bernard Shaw