Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Mom's Fried Green Tomatoes with Manchego Blackberry Cheese Sauce

One of Mom's favorite recipes.

Admittedly, this is not exactly a healthy recipe. In my journey through health I've learned that a diet is a healthy diet is about finding something you can maintain long-term. For me that is a mostly an extremely healthy, vegetable rich, low-carb (50-80g net carb) per day with the occasional homemade fried foods, and even a cookie every once in a while. I think sometimes being in balance means acknowledging that we are all imperfect - we must give ourselves the space we need to follow our unique journey of health. With hopes and open mind that we can improve our health throughout the course of our lives. Be you...be healthy.


Mom's Fried Green Tomatoes
While picking up a few items at our local Farmer's Market yesterday. My mother's face lit-up with excitement at the sight of beautiful, plump, fresh green tomatoes. So for dinner last night she made her classic recipe - but gluten-free so it fit into Tanner and my diet.




Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free

Ingredients:
2 large green tomatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 c. gluten-free all purpose flour
Sea salt and pepper to taste
2/3 c. cooking oil (we used a blend of coconut, grapeseed, and olive)

Directions:
1. Mix flour, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Coat tomatoes on both sides with flour mixture. Set aside on plates or wax paper and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Re-coat tomato slices in flour again. 
3. Heat oil in large iron skillet at medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add first batch of tomatoes to skillet. Simmer tomatoes for 1-2 minutes or until brown around the edges. Reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook tomatoes until fully browned (approx. 5-8 minutes per side).
4. Remove tomatoes from skillet and place on paper towels to absorb some of the oil.
* Recipe of Tammy Goben.

Manchego Blackberry Cheese Sauce
This sauce is rich, savory, and full of sharp cheesy flavor. It pairs so nicely with the flavor of the tomatoes. Some varieties of Manchego cheese are made with sheep's milk and some with cow's. So be sure to read the labels if you need a dairy-free version.

We served with chicken and roasted vegetables.












Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free

Ingredients:
1 tbl. coconut oil
4 blackberries, finely chopped 
1/3 c. unsweetened coconut milk
4 oz. plain goat cheese
1-1/2 to 2 oz. Manchego cheese
1/2 tbl. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
juice of 1 wedge lemon
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Melt coconut oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add berries and cook 1-2 minutes until softened. 
2. Add coconut milk and cheeses and reduce heat to medium low. Let simmer until cheese is melted. Stir frequently.
3. Add in parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper. Stir to combine. If sauce is not thick enough, make a slurry with 1 tsp. arrowroot power (or cornstarch) and 2 tbl. cold water. Whisk powder/starch and water together and add to sauce.
4. Drizzle over fried-green tomatoes.
*Recipe by Keri Rogers.

Keri is an internationally Registered Yoga Teacher, Creator of Yoga Props, and Nutrition/Wellness Educator.  She owns and operates BAYA Wellness, LLC offering Yoga and Nutrition Education Services.  Keri teachers both privately and publicly around the Greenville area offering on-going classes and special events.  Her path as a nutritionist is all about making healthy living approachable... she teaches the components of healthy cooking, eating, and thinking while also offering specialized services like menu planning.  Healthy living is about the whole pictures of wellness... find your path to living well.
BAYA... Be As You Are!

Contact for details: Website  BAYAWellness@gmail.com or 864-430-1275

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Yoga Therapy Takes A Big Step Forward


Seated forward fold pose may reduce blood pressure.

According to a story in Yoga Journal's March issue "The Yogi Is In." The nationally renowned hospital, the  Cleveland Clinic located in Ohio recently hired a full time yoga therapist and program manager. This is a huge step forward for the yoga therapist to be recognized by the medical community in such a huge way. The yoga therapists at the Cleveland Clinic will be assigned to patients with a wide range of health issues, such as, type 2 diabetes, chronic pain, obesity, multiples sclerosis, and other diseases. Each day more research is emerging supporting the healing benefits of yoga when practiced therapeutically.

Yoga Therapy is practicing yoga as medicine. The practice of yoga is an eight-fold path with many limbs or tools. Examples, of yogic practices would include: meditation, breathing practices, postures, concentration, moral and ethical observances, chanting, etc. These practices all have their own unique healing capacity to influence the body. Some practices relieve stress others increase breathing capacity, calm the mind, boost the immune system, promote weight-loss, balance the blood sugar, and even reduce anxiety. 

To find out more about how yoga heals, check out the testimonials and links below:
www.IAYT.org - International Association of Yoga Therapists
www.YogaJournal.com - Yoga Journal Magazine
New York Times on Yoga Therapy


Keri is an internationally Registered Yoga Teacher, Creator of Yoga Props, and Nutrition/Wellness Educator.  She owns and operates BAYA Wellness, LLC offering Yoga and Nutrition Education Services.  Keri teachers both privately and publicly around the Greenville area offering on-going classes and special events.  Her path as a nutritionist is all about making healthy living approachable... she teaches the components of healthy cooking, eating, and thinking while also offering specialized services like menu planning.  Healthy living is about the whole pictures of wellness... find your path to living well.
BAYA... Be As You Are!

Contact for details: Website  BAYAWellness@gmail.com or 864-430-1275

Friday, February 15, 2013

Simple and Delicious Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower is a cruciferous
vegetables and nutritional power-
house. Enjoy it a fe types a week
to reduce inflammation and
aid in detoxification.
Cauliflower soup is such a light and healthy comfort food. One thing my chef fiance has taught me is that gourmet food is about simplicity and balance. This recipe takes less than 45 minutes from start to finish and only uses 5 ingredients. You can garnish this soup in many different ways. We love to top it with different combinations of things including: crockpot-pulled beef, sliced avocado, sauteed greens with curry, or bacon. 







Candida Diet, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Nut-Free, Paleo, Soy-Free

Ingredients:

1 tbl. coconut oil
2-3 garlic cloves
1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1-1/2 to 2 cups chicken stock
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions: 
1.  Melt coconut oil in a saucepan. Add garlic and onions. Saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. 
2. Add cauliflower and chicken stock. Turn heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add more hot liquid if necessary, but use extra liquid sparingly. 
2. Once the cauliflower has softened, pour the soup into a blender or food processor. Pulse until it form a smooth and creamy texture. Season to taste.
3. Serve immediately. 
*Recipe by Keri Rogers. Photo by SnazzyApple.


Keri is an internationally Registered Yoga Teacher, Creator of Yoga Props, and Nutrition/Wellness Educator.  She owns and operates BAYA Wellness, LLC offering Yoga and Nutrition Education Services.  Keri teachers both privately and publicly around the Greenville area offering on-going classes and special events.  Her path as a nutritionist is all about making healthy living approachable... she teaches the components of healthy cooking, eating, and thinking while also offering specialized services like menu planning.  Healthy living is about the whole pictures of wellness... find your path to living well.
BAYA... Be As You Are!

Contact for details: Website  BAYAWellness@gmail.com or 864-430-1275

Thursday, February 7, 2013

February Schedule



Public Classes:

Twisting postures help to
detoxify body, tone
the muscles of the core, and
stimulate the vital organs.

Tuesdays
5:45-7pm Mindful Flow Yoga $10 at Greenville Yoga (AR)*

*AR stands for Augusta Road location.

Thursdays

5:45-7pm Mindful Flow Yoga $10 at Greenville Yoga Studio (AR)

Sundays
2-3:30pm Mindful Flow Yoga $10 at Greenville Yoga Studio (AR)

Private Yoga Classes and Nutrition:


Private Classes offered in a variety of locations around the Greenville area for individuals, couples, families, businesses, etc.  Nutrition, Wellness, and Yoga education consultations are available as well see website for details (www.BAYAWellness.com)

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Keri's Daily Green Juice

For those of you are
aren't in love with dark leafy
greens. Spinach has one of
the mildest flavor of all
greens, and still very
nutrient dense! 
For christmas this year, my fiance set me up with an amazing juicer. The first few weeks I was experimenting with making a low-carb version of my classic green juice and it's just wasn't coming together for me. The ginger and lemon made me cringe no matter how small of an amount of it I put into the juice. Which is weird, because I LOVE lemon and ginger. 

Anyways, most of the fresh juice recipes out there contain a fairly large amount of carbohydrates due to the use of apples, carrots, and many other fruits. When you're on a weight-loss diet or anti-candida diet those carbs are just not worth the health benefits they could provide. I love, love, love this green juice because it is really mild, simple, slightly sweet, low-carb and oh-so-refreshing! Let this recipe remind you don't need all the sugary fruit to make a delicious, nutritious, fresh juice. :-) 


Candida Diet, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Nut-Free, Paleo, Primal, Raw

Ingredients:
3-5 handfuls baby spinach
3-5 sprigs fresh parsley, ends trimmed and coarsely chopped
Parsley can help to freshen
your breath naturally and is
a good source of vitamin C.
1 medium cucumber, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 stalks celery hearts, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
optional add-ins: dash sea salt or cayenne, lemon wedge

Directions:
1. Juice all ingredients except optional add-ins. Sprinkle add-ins on top and serve immediately or refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to 24 hours.
2. Save the pulp from your juice and mix with tomato sauce, mashed avocado, into your protein smoothie, etc. 
*Recipe and juice photo by Keri Marino.


Keri Marino is an internationally Registered Yoga Teacher, Propmaker, and Yoga Therapist.  She owns and operates Yoga Unique LLC offering mobile Private classes, Yoga Therapy and Yoga products. Keri teachers both privately and publicly around the Greenville area. Check out more here: YogaUnique