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Thursday Salads & Sides: Arugula Salad with Parmigiano Reggiano

Editor — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:57:01 +0000

Staying healthy is the priority of the year. If you’re tired of ordering the same salad at your favorite restaurant here is a recipe to try. This salad is so simple yet so flavorful. The brightness of the dressing brings out the flavor of all the components.

Arugula Salad with Parmigiano Reggiano

What You’ll Need:

Arugula (wild or baby if available) or greens of your choice

Parmigiano Reggiano sliced with a vegetable peeler, as much as you like

Fresh Lemon Juice

Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil that you have

Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Preparation:

Wash and dry the greens. Toss in a bowl with the cheese. Dressing with the oil and lemon in about a 3:1 ratio (oil:lemon). If you’d like a brighter flavor, increase the amount of lemon. Season to taste.

Randy Rabney is a board certified holistic health coach, trained chef, food lover and working parent. She is the founder of TheConsciousPlate.com and the author of “Delicious For Life: Your Everyday Guide to Making Quick & Healthy Meals.” She is a graduate of The Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts as well as The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, both in NYC and has cooked at the Golden Door Spa in California and has taught classes in a variety of places, including Whole Foods Markets.

How many salads do you eat a week?

Travis London’s X-Rated Fusion Liqueur Valentine’s Day

Editor — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:16:42 +0000

Whether you are spending February 14^th with friends or loved ones, celebrity chef and party planner, Travis London has some tips and recipes that will help ensure this Valentine’s Day is nothing short of an “X-Rated” experience. With libido boosting X-Rated Fusion Liqueur cocktails, aphrodisiac foods (some may surprise you) and tips on how to upgrade your single girl’s night out or brunch, Travis has a variety of useful tips, including the ones below:

For the lovebirds:

Cooking for your loved-one? Ginger not only spices up your food, but can put some extra spice in your love life. It improves blood flow through the body and contains Vitamin C, zinc and magnesium—a sure bet to heat things up between the sheets.

Cook with coconut as it can act as an aphrodisiac. The smell of coconut triggers certain sensors in our body that alert us of the present of the opposite sex.

For the single ladies:

Single this Valentine’s Day? Take your girls out to brunch. Upgrade your Bellini or Mimosa by opting for low-calorie cocktails made with Rose Brut Sparkling Wine. Skipping the beer and sodium-packed Bloody Mary’s will allow you to indulge in a sweet treat for dessert.

Have your friends over before a ‘girl’s night out’ and mix-up some easy, flirtatious cocktail recipes that will get you ready to hit the town. Add a strawberry to any cocktail as they are incredibly high in anti-oxidants and have the lowest glycemic level of any fruit. This means you can dance all night as they provide sustained energy at the cost of only a few calories.

TRAVIS LONDON’S VALENTINE’S DAY COCKTAIL RECIPES

X-Rated Bellini

1 1Ž2 oz. X-Rated Fusion Liqueur

2 1Ž2 oz. Mango Puree

Top with Rose Brut Sparkling Wine

In a cocktail shaker add X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, mango puree, and ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a champagne flute rimmed with rimming sugar. Top with sparkling wine.

Be Mine Bubbly

1 1Ž2 oz. X-Rated Fusion Liqueur

1 oz. SKYY Infusions Ginger

1Ž2 oz. Ginger Simple Syrup

Top with Champagne

In a cocktail shaker add X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, SKYY Infusions Ginger, simple syrup and ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a champagne flute rimmed with sugar. Top with champagne.

Love Goddess

1 oz. Chocolate Liqueur

1 oz. X-Rated Fusion Liqueur

3 Strawberries

1Ž2 oz. SKYY Vodka
In a cocktail shaker place all ingredients and muddle the strawberries until completely mashed. Add ice, shake vigorously, and strain into a martini glass rimmed with red rimming sugar and garnish with a strawberry slice.

Travis London, weekly contributor to OK! magazine and founder of the popular food and lifestyle website, HealthyChicEats.com, has spent years cooking for some of Hollywood’s most famous young talent before enrolling in the French culinary institute. With his appreciation for style and locally-sourced ingredients, Travis has made a name for himself as an expert on living well and staying chic. Going beyond mere culinary endeavors, he also specializes in home design, entertaining, and fashion. He has made several national television appearances, including “The Today Show” and his tips are regularly featured in the likes of SHAPE, US Weekly, Life & Style and YAHOO!

What are your plans this Valentine’s Day? Having an intimate dinner with the love of your life? Having and anti-Valentine’s day party with your girls? Let us know!

ALDO “Detamble”

Editor — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:38:53 +0000

Looking to stand out? Try these on with a white cocktail dress and pink or orange jewelry. You’re sure to turn heads! I personally love the color combination of pink and orange! You can purchase these eye-catchers by visiting www.aldoshoes.com!

Voli Light Vodka’s Cocktails for Valentine’s Day to Spring

Editor — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:14:32 +0000

What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your loved one (or with friends) than with low-calorie, delicious Voli Light Vodka cocktails? Fergie, the new co-owner of the brand, loves to drink the Raspberry Cocoa just over ice!

Voli Light Vodka is the world’s first low calorie fruit and fusion flavored vodka. Voli Light Vodkas are on average 25 to 40 percent lower in calories than leading brands. Voli Light Vodka’s natural ingredients achieve the perfect balance of natural fruit flavors and vodka distilled from superior French wheat and pure spring water.

Flavors:

Lyte – extra smooth vodka with a light finish (74 calories per 1.5 oz serving)
Lemon – a strong and zesty flavor paired with a mellow verbena taste (81 calories per 1.5 oz serving)
Espresso Vanilla – the delightful aroma of coffee with vanilla and a hint of cocoa (81 calories per 1.5 oz serving)
Raspberry Cocoa – an irresistible fusion of raspberry and cocoa (80 calories per 1.5 oz serving)
Orange Vanilla – a fusion of orange and vanilla resulting in a delicious creamsicle flavor (81 calories per 1.5 oz serving)

Here are some recipes to get your Valentine’s Day started:

Red Lips
1.5 oz Raspberry Cocoa
2 oz diet cranberry juice
4 raspberries
1/4 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 packet natural sweetener
Splash of club soda

Muddle raspberries, add ingredients, shake and strain. Top with a splash of club soda. Pour into a martini glass and garnish with a lime and raspberry.
Approx 86 calories

Voli Crush
1.5 oz Orange Vanilla
1 oz fresh orange juice
Splash of diet sprite

Shake and strain Voli and orange juice. Top with a splash of diet sprite. Fancy it up with an orange twist garnish!
Approx 94 calories

Cocoa Kiss
1.5 oz Raspberry Cocoa or Espresso Vanilla
3/4 oz Irish cream liqueur

Serve over ice and stir. On the rocks and garnish with fresh raspberries and espresso beans.
Approx 110 calories

Prepare for Spring with these delicious Spring-themed Voli Cocktails! Light and refreshing, they will get you in the mood for Spring!

Skinny Citrus Crush:
1 1/2 oz Voli Lyte (works with Voli Lemon too)
1/2 oz Agave Nectar
2 Lemon wedges
1 Lime wedge
Top with soda water

Squeeze lemons and lime and drop in a glass.
Add Voli Lyte, Agave and ice. Shake and top with soda water.
Approx 105 calories (Approx 110 with Voli Lemon)

Volito:
1 1/2 oz LYTE or Lemon
1/2 fresh lime
8 mint leaves
1 packet sweetener
Club soda

Muddle lime, mint and sweetener. Add Voli, light shake and pour all ingredients in a glass. Top club soda. Garnish with Mint Sprig.
Approx 85 calories

(can add fruits to this e.g. Blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, red berries, mango)

Blushing Berry:
1 1/2 oz Raspberry Cocoa
1/2 oz Raspberry liqueur
Splash of diet cranberry juice

Served on the rocks and garnish it with raspberry and lime twist.
Approx 130 calories

Tell us which is your favorite!

Wednesday Soups: Raw, Vegan and Gluten Free – Thai Coconut Soup

Editor — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:04:02 +0000

Raw foods, also called “living foods”, are packed with natural fiber, viable vitamins and minerals, essential macro- and micro-nutrients and are enzyme-rich. Enzymes, which act as a catalyst to regulate the digestive process in the body, are destroyed in temperatures above 115 degrees. Eating a primarily raw – or “living” food – diet may help alleviate chronic food allergies and digestive problems, strengthen the immune system, help one regulate their weight and retard the aging process.

The raw food lifestyle, is primarily comprised of uncooked, unprocessed, sustainable and often organically grown plant-based foods such as raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouts, fresh and low temperature dried herbs and sea vegetables. Some proponents of this lifestyle might consume raw, unpasteurized dairy products and occasionally free range eggs, sashimi or raw ground meats, like bison.

You can buy both young coconuts frozen kefir leaves at Asian markets, but you can also find the young coconuts at many health food stores. Young coconuts have a delicious jelly-like meat inside, along with some of water which is super-high in electrolytes and nutrients. These are a staple food to many raw foodists. The only drawback is that the seemingly impenetrable husk takes some practice in learning how to open, but I provide a shortcut so that you can enjoy this soup often:

Asian markets also usually carry frozen shredded young coconut meat in their frozen food section. They are slightly preserved and do contain sugar, so while defrosting I open the package and place the frozen coconut meat in a colander so that the sugared water will run off. Then run fresh water over the meat for several minutes to remove the rest.

Thai Coconut Soup

Serves 1-3

Ingredients:
1 young coconut (flesh and water)

½ garlic clove

½ inch fresh ginger

½ cup water

½ cup pineapple (reserve ¼ cup cut into small pieces)

2 kefir leaves*

juice from 1 lime

½ tsp. Celtic sea salt

1 TB. agave or honey

1-2 fresh or dried chilis
Directions:

Scoop out the soft meat from young coconut and place in blender with the coconut water. Add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT: ¼ cup pineapple, 2 kefir leaves and reserve 1 chili

Blend for 1 minute – taste for spiciness and adjust by adding additional chili if needed.

Blend again for several minutes until the blades warm the mixture. If you prefer a warmer soup, heat gently on stovetop but do not allow to boil as this will destroy the enzymes and nutrients.

Break kefir leaves into small pieces and stir in gently – allowing their flavor to steep into the warmed soup.

Stir in the pieces of pineapple and garnish with a dried chili pepper.
Add any additional items for more texture:

Corn (defrosted) or shaved off ear

Diced cucumber

Shaved slices of shitake mushrooms

Crumbled kale chips

LindaJoy Rose, Ph.D. is a therapist, healthy living advocate and wellness chef and author of 8 books. She is the creator of the “raw fusion movement” blending the incredible health benefits of raw foods with the comfort and convenience of mainstream meals. Dr. Rose is also a pioneer in the implementation of hypnotherapy training in many countries and helps people worldwide create positive mindsets for change. www.rawfusionliving.com

What are some of your favorite Thai dishes to follow your Thai Coconut Soup?