So I do lunch and learn seminars.  This week a lovely lady sitting right near the front of the room was eating her lunch during my seminar and I commented on how good it looked.  She was amazing and sent me her recipe.  It is a Seaweed salad with yellow peppers.

Even more amazing she said I could share it with you!

Seaweed and yellow pepper salad ingredients

Dried seaweed (can be purchased at Korean store)

yellow pepper

Apple cider vinegar

sesame oil

sesame seeds (toasted if you wish)

Directions

So the lovely lady  said she makes this by feel and doesn’t really use amounts.  You need to “relive” the seaweed by soaking it first.  (about 2 handfuls is a lot she said),  Then cut up yellow peppers into bite sized chunks – use one whole pepper.  Then just add a splash of both ACV and sesame oil to taste and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Voila – amazing healthy salad.

Health benefits of seaweed

According to the Google

“Seaweed is much more nutrient dense than any land vegetables. It is an excellent source of micronutrients including folate, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and selenium. More importantly, seaweed is a great source of iodine”.

https://www.google.ca/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=&oq=health+benefits+of+seaweed&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4IAGV_enCA650CA651&q=health+benefits+of+seaweed&gs_l=hp…0l5.0.0.1.1283343………..0.UiP3TTB1HRs

According to the website wellnessmama.com

“Benefits of Seaweed

The unique properties of seaweed make it beneficial to the body in several ways:

Vitamins and Minerals

Seaweed is much more nutrient dense than any land vegetables. It is an excellent source of micronutrients including folate, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and selenium. More importantly, seaweed is a great source of iodine.

DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids

Unlike land plants, seaweed contains preformed omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, so seaweed or algae oil can be a reliable source of omega-3 for vegetarians.

Aids with Digestion

Beans can cause gas and stomach upset for many people. This can be easily fixed by adding kombu, a particular kind of seaweed, to the beans when cooking.

Antioxidants

Seaweed contains many antioxidants. As part of a healthy diet, seaweed can help protect against oxidative stresses and prevent chronic diseases such as cancer and digestive problems.

Fiber and Prebiotics

All plants contain fiber, but seaweed also has other odd types of carbohydrates that we lack the digestive enzymes to digest. These include  carrageenan, fucan, galactan, and many more. These carbohydrates then become foods for the bacteria (see this study for a more detailed explanation).

What you eat directly influences which bacteria dominates in your gut. The types of bacteria that can feed best on the foods you choose to eat will grow better (read more on this fascinating topic here). This explains why some cultures handle different types of food better than others. In fact, scientists found that the gut bacteria in healthy Japanese people are higher in bacteria that can digest the types of carbohydrates in seaweed (source).”

She also goes over potential risks of eating too much seaweed – for more info click below:

https://wellnessmama.com/130117/seaweed-benefits/

Other benefits

This salad is apparently amazing for constipation.  This is never TMI by the way.  Good and healthy ways of preventing constipation is always welcome.  Not many things better in life than a happy poop right?

Happy pooping!

This recipe came from a good friend of the family my Auntie Janet – it is my mom’s recipe for spare ribs which I don’t even think I have so what a treasure!

I remember eating these as a kid and they really are amazing – they were a once in a while treat for us that my family still remembers fondly.

I hope you guys like it too (and remember moderation is the key as this one isn’t what I would call my normal healthy recipe post but there is something to be said for the foods of our childhood)

Mom’s Spare ribs via Auntie Janet

Grilled Corn Salsa

Here is a healthy recipe all the way from a family friend in Florida – sounds super yummy. Thank you to Auntie Janet (who, by the way is an awesome cook and I still make her lemon rice recipe I got from many years ago – I promise to post that one soon – amazing with grilled white fish)

4 cobs of corn, grilled (on the BBQ or under the broiler)

2 tomatoes. chopped

1 cup of red onions, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste.

Grill the corn until kernels are browned.  Cut kernels off the cobs with a knife and place in a bowl

Add all the other ingredients and season to taste.

Let marinate for 3 hours before serving at room temperature.  Nice as a side to anything.

Taco Night Keto-style

It can be hard cooking for your family if they aren’t following the keto diet.  Here is a recipe that the whole family will like and you only have to do one extra small step with the oven and parchment paper for your own meal.  Way  better than cooking two meals right?

For this recipe just prepare tacos like you normally would –

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

taco seasoning (the old el paso packets are ok for keto I checked)

Taco shells (for the family)

2-4 slices of provolone cheese (for you)

shredded lettuce

diced tomatoes

avocado

hot sauce

salsa

shredded cheese

Here is what you do – prepare the ground beef according to packet directions and have the family top their tacos on their regular taco shells.  For you following the keto diet place two slices of provolone cheese evenly spaced  on parchment paper and place in oven at375 degrees for 9-10 minutes. Take out of oven immediately and flip onto a thick foil bread pan so that the provolone makes an upside down “taco shell” shape and leave in this position until cool and hardened (maybe 30 seconds). You now have your very own keto taco shell that is yummy and crunchy to fill! go easy on the salsa and make sure you read the ingredients unless you are making your own.

Enjoy!

Want a really healthy keto friendly side dish?

Seriously easy. Like 5 minute prep time easy.

I never NEVER liked brussel sprouts until my husband’s Aunt Lainey made them for me this way. It is the ONLY way to make Brussel  sprouts in my opinion.  Made too many? No problem.  You can turn the leftovers into a yummy salad the next day. No Down Sides. Really.

This one has 3, count ’em, 3, ingredients:

Brussel Sprouts

Extra virgin Olive Oil

Garlic Powder

Ok so here is what you do – go to the grocery store and buy brussel sprouts – a man in the store once told me to pick the small ones because they taste better.  I have no idea if this is at all true but I do try to pick the smaller ones – this stuff seems to stay with you. I bet you try to find the small ones too now – I think they are sweeter if that is a possibility.

At home – cut the old stem or end off and cut each sprout in half.  Throw whatever amount you want in a bowl and add olive oil – if you have garlic flavoured oil use that. If not use enough oil (Extra virgin regular flavoured) to cover the sprouts in a thin layer and add garlic powder to desired amount  (I use lots) – that’s it. 3 ingredients.

Place on a single layer on a foil covered tray – I use the toaster oven for this one and broil until the sprouts turn a tiny bit black on the up side facing the element.  Make sure to watch these babies I have burnt my share of them (I eat them anyways because they are still tasty). they only take between 5-10 minutes in my toaster oven but it depends on the oven you use.

If you have left overs add lettuce (green leaf), avocado and some chicken with some toasted coconut, a bit more oil and apple cider vinegar for an amazing salad.

You got a 2 for 1 recipe today! Sweet.

Hope you like it!