Recipe: Portobello burgers

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I am sticking with the theme of quick and easy recipes as this good weather continues. The other night I hosted some friends and we were all really in the mood to be outside. When this happens, I almost always resort to the BBQ. The menu called for simple beef hamburgers atop a lightly seasoned Portabello mushroom. Tomatoes and avocado were the perfect toppers, along with a spiced mustard. I will especially enjoy making this meal again later in the season when the vegetables from my garden are ready. I completed the meal with a side of mashed sweet potatoes, which just so happens to be a recipe I posted not too long ago.

Whenever I am making hamburgers, I make sure that the ground beef is not too lean. Reason being, I do not like to season the meat too much, so the more fat on the meat, the more flavor. That being said, by no means do you have to limit your seasoning. Pretty much anything goes! I will share with you what I did; however, feel free to add your own twist.

In the recipe, I didn’t specify any specific topping to use with those burgers, but the reason is to let you choose what you prefer and what you have available. Almost anything goes. A good homemade condiment like ketchup or mustard is a great choice, so is a homemade mayonnaise. As for the vegetables, tomatoes, lettuce and avocados are great. I also personally really like a sliced, crunchy and naturally fermented dill pickle.

Portobello burger recipe

Serves 4 to 6

 

Ingredients for the hamburgers

Makes 6 to 8 patties

• 3lbs of ground beef (not too lean ifyou want a very flavorful patty);
• 3 eggs;
• 2 cloves garlic, minced;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Ingredients for the portobello mushrooms

• 6-8 large Portabello mushroons;
• A few tablespoons of olive oil (the amount will depend on how large your mushrooms are, so start with a little and add more as needed);
• 2 cloves garlic, minced;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation for the hamburgers

1. Place the ground beef in a large bowl and add the eggs. Combine until the eggs are evenly mixed through.
2. Mix in the garlic and season with salt and pepper.
3. Form 6 to 8 patties that are slightly smaller than the mushroom caps so they can fit on top once cooked.
4. Place on a preheated grill and cook each side for about 5-7 minutes (the time it takes will depend on the temperature of your grill. I cooked them at medium-low for approximately this time).

Preparation for the portobello mushrooms

1. Rinse the mushrooms and pat them dry.
2. Remove the mushroom stems. The reason for this is because you want your mushroom cap to take the form of the hamburger bun. Do not discard, they can be great for many other recipes, or you can grill them along with the caps.
3. Coat the caps in olive oil and then season with salt and pepper. Do not let the oil penetrate for long, as you will notice the mushrooms will start to get soggy.
4. Place on the preheated grill and cook on each side for about 5-7 minutes.

Now all there is left to do is stack your patty on top of your mushroom and add any toppings you desire. There you have it! The complete Paleo hamburger. Enjoy!

Recipe: Green Chicken Masala

Chicken tikka masala is a curry made with roasted chicken and a red or orange sauce. This recipe differs from the traditional tikka masala in its use of a paste made with fresh cilantro and mint for a green chicken masala. Similarly to the traditional tikka masala though, the combination of Indian spices give a nice and spicy taste to this dish, something not too much unlike other curries.

It should not be confused with chicken marsala, which is an Italian dish made with mushrooms and marsala wine. A great Italian chicken marsala recipe can be found in the cookbook.

This recipe calls for quite a few ingredients, but is really quick and simple to prepare. It should take no more than 30 minutes from start to finish to prepare. Of course, you can substitute the chicken thighs with pork or beef for an equally great result. Beef should give the dish an even bolder taste. Choose tender cuts of meat since the meat cooks quickly, contrary to a stew where the meat cooks slowly and tougher cuts can be used.

• 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces;
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk;
• 1 onion, finely chopped;
• 1/4 cup lemon juice;
• 1/2 cup water or chicken stock;
• 4 garlic cloves, minced;
• 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves;
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves;
• 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped coarsely;
• 1 1/2 tsp turmeric;
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon;
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom;
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves;
• 3 tbsp coconut oil or clarified butter;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation

1. Heat a large skillet over a medium heat and add the onion with the cooking fat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the onion starts to soften.
2. Add the chicken thighs as well as the turmeric to the skillet and continue cooking, still while stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, place the lemon juice, water or stock, cilantro, mint, jalapeño and garlic in a blender or food processor and process to obtain a smooth puree.
4. After the chicken has cooked for about 7 minutes, add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Cook for another minute.
5. Pour in the coconut milk, season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and add the herb puree.
6. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is well cooked and tender.

Back to Basics Series Part lV : Health & Nutrition Tips

Nutrition Tip

People often skip the “basic” rules of nutrition in search of advanced principles that will provide results.
It is crucial that you fuel your body every 2.5 – 3 hours for maximum benefits. Eating breakfast at 7am and not eating again until 12 or 1pm is MUCH too long for your body to go without food.

Try establishing the pattern of eating every 2-3 hours with your current foods and then start implementing better choices into those time slots.

Contact us if you need help implementing the basic rules of nutrition. You need a solid foundation of basic principles in order to see results!!

Chef’s Healthy Tip

In keeping with our theme of basic nutrition principles – it’s all about the prep! Eating every 2.5-3 hours requires preparation. There is no getting around it, prep is hard work and it takes commitment to make sure your proper foods are prepared for the day.

Here are some basic tips for prepping your healthy food…

• try barbecuing your meats in large enough batches to last 3 days, on Sundays and either Wednesday or Thursday
• clean and chop vegetables and store in containers
• divide raw nuts and seeds into containers so they are ready to take on the road
• try our recipes for healthy peanut butter protein bars and nutrient dense fudge
• master 2 healthy recipes until you can do them without consulting a book and then move onto 2 more
• pre mix your salads into containers that are ready to take
• pre mix olive oil/vinegar and herb dressings into mason jars so they are ready to take

Master the art of prepping and everything else will become easier

Back to Basics Series Part lll - Recipe of the Month

Once again, continuing with our theme to master the basics, we recommend a breakfast that is high protein, low carbohydrate and moderate in healthy fats.

This was our recipe back in our January 2009 Newsletter. We decided to re-use it as breakfast recipes are still our number one request. You can make a batch of these and store for up to 3 days for a quick, high energy breakfast.

Mini Turkey Sausage & Mushroom Quiche
These crust-less mini quiches are like portable omelets that can be made in advance for those pressed for time in the mornings. Try combining a few of these with a handful of raw nuts for a great breakfast.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz turkey breakfast sausage, removed from casing & crumbled into small pieces (preferably organic sausages)
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• ¼cup sliced scallions
• ¼cup shredded cheese (preferably organic)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 5 eggs
• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup 1% milk

 1) Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325F. Coat a nonstick muffin tin generously with coconut oil. (suitable for high heat)

2) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Add oil to the pan. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to the bowl with the sausage. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in scallions, cheese and pepper.

3) Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk in a medium bowl. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each cup.

4) Bake until the tops are just beginning to brown, 25 mins. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Place a rack on top of the pan, flip it over and turn the quiches out onto the rack. Turn upright and let cool completely.

Back to Basics Series Part ll

Sticking with our theme of basics….

Almost every nutrition consultation we do reveals a protein intake that is much too low. Most people are downright shocked when we suggest how much protein they should consume. Remember, the human body is designed to consume “high” amounts of quality protein.

When people increase protein intake, they generally see;
· fat loss
· increased energy levels
· more stable blood sugar
· improved mood
· better sleep
· quicker recovery after workouts
· increased metabolic rate

The problem for most people is that consuming protein is inconvenient. After all, we are mostly talking about meat as a protein source. If this is an issue for you, consider a high quality protein supplement. We currently recommend Sun Warrior Protein as our preferred brand. We shy away from brands that use artificial sweeteners as they are linked with a variety of health issues.

Sun Warrior is available in Natural, Vanilla and Chocolate Flavors for $65 per bag through Live in Motion.

Jason & Lisa
FHP / CPTN-CPT / CSEP-CPT /
Registered Yoga Instructor /Certified Holistic Nutritionist (Hons)/Holistic Chef / HLC Level 1 / Biosignature Practitioner

Jason: jason@liveinmotion.ca
Lisa: lisa@liveinmotion.ca

www.liveinmotion.ca

Back to Basics Series

Good Morning Everyone, How was your weekend?

We though that we would make the next couple of posts all about getting back to the “basics” of healthy living. Get everyone back on page one (those who have gotten a little lost along the way)

As with anything, we need to build a foundation of knowledge and habits.
Much of what we do centers around helping clients change their overall lifestyle from “unhealthy” to “healthy.” One of the first steps is to create some very basic lifestyle changes.
Think for a minute about the constant barrage of unhealthy factors we encounter everyday – pollution, poor drinking water, stressful work and commuting environments, pesticides, chemicals in soap, shampoo, make-up and toothpaste, junk food, a constant flow of negative media coverage and radiation from electronic gadgets.

Why not do something good for yourself? Try making one or two BASIC lifestyle changes until they become a habit. Then add one or two more. Over the course of a year, think about the positive effects that these changes can have on a physical, mental and emotional level.

Here are some suggested changes……

• buy a water filtration unit
• improve sleep patterns by going to bed and waking at the same time every day
• take 10 minutes each evening for deep breathing
• drink lemon water first thing in the morning to alkalinize your bloodstream
• cut your alcohol intake by 50%
• add Celtic salt to your meals to increase trace minerals
• cut out late night carbohydrates
• use coconut oil for high heat cooking
• increase fiber
• use a greens drink
• challenge yourself to learn more about nutrition and the body
• try yoga
• do a full body detox
• stay away from negative media before bed (The news!)
• commit yourself to a fitness program

After all, most people have everything to gain and nothing to lose by making basic lifestyle changes.
Contact us if you need help in creating a healthier lifestyle. Our job is to “Overhaul your unhealthy lifestyle”

Jason & Lisa
FHP / CPTN-CPT / CSEP-CPT /
Registered Yoga Instructor /Certified Holistic Nutritionist (Hons)/Holistic Chef / HLC Level 1 / Biosignature Practitioner

Jason: jason@liveinmotion.ca
Lisa: lisa@liveinmotion.ca

www.liveinmotion.ca July/ August 2011