Ahi Tuna Salad

One of my favorite starters to order at a restaurant, aside from the cheese plate, is the tuna tartare.  To satisfy the craving at home, I make something similar once in awhile.  This recipe does call for a couple of unique ingredients you may not necessarily have on hand, but you can pick them up at most grocery stores.

Ingredients

• Ahi tuna
• Tomato
• Avocado
• Scallions
• Spicy mayo (I get it from the sushi counter at my store- it's about $1.00 for a small cup)
• Wasabi paste- comes in a tube
• Black sesame seeds

I sear the tuna in a skillet over medium high heat for about two minutes per side and them remove and let rest while I dice the tomato and avocado.  Add in a bit of chopped scallion, the spicy mayo and wasabi paste to taste and sprinkle with the black sesame seeds.  

Are you into sushi or not so much?  I know people love it or hate it.  I'm definitely in the love category! 

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Mushroom, Asparagus, Radish, & Arugula Salad

Hi everyone!  It’s Jennifer from The Chronicles of Home and I’ve got a delicious spring salad to share with you today.

We ate this mushroom, asparagus, and radish salad for dinner recently alongside roasted chicken thighs but I could have eaten it alone as a vegetarian meal.  In fact, I did eat the leftovers by themselves as my lunch the next day and I have great news - this is one of those salads that is fantastic leftover.

The mushrooms and asparagus are cooked and warm when you add them to the arugula, which softens and wilts just slightly.  The flavors are springy and fresh but I found the salad to still be hearty and satisfying, which is just what I’m craving this time of year.

Mushroom, Asparagus, Radish, & Arugula Salad

Ingredients

1 medium bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1” pieces

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 tbsp. olive oil, divided

1/4 c. shallot, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 c. chicken stock

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tbsp. fresh chives, chopped

1 tbsp. flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 tbsp. grated parmesan or romano cheese

2 c. arugula

8 radishes, sliced

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Blanch asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes.  Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.

Preheat oven to 350º.  Melt butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add shallot and garlic.  Sprinkle with salt to taste and cook 1 minute.  Add mushrooms, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a boil.  Transfer to oven and roast until mushrooms are tender, about 30 minutes.  Return to stovetop and boil over high heat until liquid evaporates.  

Lower heat to medium-low and add aspargus, chives, parsley, and parmesan.  Stir to coat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss arugula, radishes, remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil, and lemon juice in a large bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add mushroom and asparagus mixture and toss gently to combine.

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Thank you for this post from contributing writer, Jennifer, of The Chronicles of Home.  You'll definitely want to check out her blog for more amazing recipes, beautiful home decor, and easy-to-follw DIY projects!

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Willie Austin

The kids of today need better leadership.  Better role models.  Better confidence.  Better health.  And that starts with us.

I have been pulled toward adolescent health and medicine since I was an adolescent myself!  Its why I chose Vanderbilt for my residency, with their level 1 pediatric trauma center, and its why Ive decided to focus my practice in the area of adolescent nutrition.  This is where I belong.  And in this field, there is no better example for kids, and us leaders within the field, than Willie Austin.

Willie Austin founded The Austin Foundation in 1997 dedicated towards getting kids in Seattle off of the streets and into the gym, surrounded by positive role models and health.  In working with Willie and the foundation on a professional level, Willie became a lifelong friend of mine, and had always been a lifelong friend and mentor to my husband Tyler, who sits on the board for the foundation.

Willie was an example to kids for many reasons, but here are just a few.

Willie played football for the Washington Huskies.  Student athletes are such amazing examples for youth because they have to work hard on the field, take care of their bodies, manage a crazy time schedule and still do well in school!

Willie continued strength training and power lifting after football was over, and eventually became the World Drug-Free Powerlifing Champion.  No cheating, no drugs. Just hard work, dedication, and health. 

Willie saw a need that wasn’t being met in the community, and changed it. Forming The Austin Foundation.  He saw kids who couldn't afford the cost of athletic programs or didn’t have safe access to physical fitness activities.  He saw kids struggling with diabetes, obesity, asthma and high blood pressure who weren’t comfortable in regular gym class settings.  He invited them into his gym, on his time and taught them about their health, their bodies and what they could achieve with hard work, self-esteem and positivity.

Willie was an instructor and coach for the Washington State Special Olympics.  Not only did he help those with able bodies to become fit and healthy, but he worked with those who had even more physical challenges to face. 

Tragically, Willie Austin passed away suddenly on April 24th 2013.  I was and still am devastated, along with my husband and the rest of the community.  His wife Vanisha, gave birth to their first child together, a daughter, Willow Austin, the week following his death.  With the foundation rocked to its core from the loss of it founder, we are now in a position as the community to raise this foundation up, to save it and to make it even better, as a legacy to Willie, and to all the kids he has helped, and whom the foundation will help in the coming years.

I want to be like Willie.  I want to inspire youth to be active, healthy, positive and confident.  I want my kids to be like Willie.  And for that to happen, we need to keep The Austin Foundation, and those like it, around for a long time.

The foundation needs community and financial support.  Crave Health will be donating our allocated charity funds to The Austin Foundation.  I hope that all of you out there and your companies will consider allowing a portion of your allocated charitable funds to go to The Austin Foundation this year, the year they need it more than ever. 

TODAY is Seattle’s “Give Big” day.  May 15^th.  It allows you to donate to foundations through their website, and stretching your dollar by adding to your donation.  I would love to have people GIVE BIG on this day to The Austin Foundation!  Also, the annual fundraising breakfast that Willie hosts every year for the foundation is coming up.  Willie will be there in spirit.  This RUSH (Rise Up & Shine for Health) Breakfast is a great way to meet those involved and learn more about what the foundation is about, and what we are going to do moving forward.  Tuesday June 11^th from 7:30-9am for breakfast before work.

GIVE BIG Campaign Information: May 15th

Austin Foundation RUSH Breakfast: June 11th, 7:30-9am

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Mila (Chia Seeds)

Have you heard all the good news lately about chia seeds? I met a new friend I instantly "clicked" with and she is an independent distributor of Mila (a blend of chia seeds), a whole, raw food and it's one simple thing we've incorporated into our food here lately.  

So far, I've been putting about 1/4 to 1/2 scoop of Mila in my protein pancakes, as well as these other dishes:

OATMEAL

GRANOLA BITES

PROTEIN & DARK CHOCOLATE OATMEAL MUFFINS

PANCAKES

TURKEY CHILI

WATER

You can order Mila from my friend Dacia here:  http://daciagonzales.lifemax.net

Below are some of her tips for eating Mila. If you have any questions, please feel free to email her (dadaciagonzales@gmail.com).  She's very knowledgeable about the product and is sincere about it's health benefits.

Eat Consistently and After Hydrating If Possible

Now that you have your bag of Mila please make sure to eat it daily and consistently. The bag is a 35 day supply. As we discussed, the recommended daily serving for adults is 1 of the scoops (in the bag = 2 Tbsp). It's suggested to start with 1/2 of the recommended amount so your GI has several days to adjust to the nutrition and raw fiber. The best way to eat your Mila is after it's "hydrated," which just means after it has had a chance to absorb water. If you're consuming it by drinking it in water, let it sit for at least 15-30 minutes before starting to drink it. If you decide to add it to a smoothie instead of just drinking it in water, put your Mila in a small bowl with a few tablespoons of water and let it absorb the water for at least 15-30 minutes and then add it to the smoothie.

Drinking in Water and Other Options

As I mentioned, my husband and I drink ours in a large water bottle over the first hour or so of the morning - we were surprised we don't mind consuming it that way. If you decide to consume it that way, a full scoop with 10 ounces of water will be quite grainy with a more thick consistency and a full scoop with 20 ounces of water makes the Mila hardly noticeable, so it's really just personal preference. Again, though, make sure to let the Mila hydrate for at least 15-30 minutes before starting to drink it. I recommend putting it in a large water bottle so that you can shake it. Between shaking it periodically and adding it to 20 ounces or more of water, I don't feel like it has anywhere near the thick, gritty consistency. If you don't like it in your water or want to try other ways to eat it, as we discussed there are lots of other ways to incorporate it into your diet - it mixes easily into things like peanut butter and it also retains all of its nutrient content in baked goods such as muffins or pancakes. If you want any recipes besides the power ball recipe, I'd be glad to pass them along.

Look for...

Pay close attention to things like satiation (feeling full and satisfied), bowel habits, energy levels, and sleep. Some people don't feel the health benefits and others feel a difference over days or weeks. If you experience anything like constipation, gas, or bloating, I've already learned that it's usually your GI adjusting to the nutrition and raw fiber. Adjusting how you're eating your Mila can alleviate those issues and will ease your body into the nutrition and fiber. If that happens, just call/text/e-mail me and I can give you some tips.

Recap

-Start with 1/2 scoop or 1 Tablespoon for approximately 1 week

-Try to hydrate (soak in water) for at least 15-30 minutes before consuming

-Use at least 16-20 ounces of water and shake periodically if you're drinking it in water and don't like the thicker consistency

-Contact me for suggestions to modify how you're eating your Mila if you experience any undesirable effects

-Enjoy!

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Healthy Greek Chopped Salad

Hi everyone!  It’s Jennifer from The Chronicles of Home and I’m excited to be back here at Honey We’re Healthy sharing another healthy and delicious recipe with you.

Warm(ish) weather has finally arrived here in the Boston area, where I live, and we celebrated last weekend by bringing our outdoor dining table out of hibernation and having dinner on the deck.  

We grilled some marinated steak tips, had my favorite crispy oven potatoes (both recipes on my blog this week!), and big bowls of this Greek chopped salad with creamy yogurt dressing.  It was so fresh, colorful, and tasty and just the perfect kickoff to al fresco dining season here in the northeast.

Greek Chopped Salad

1 seedless cucumber

1 c. grape tomatoes, halved

4-5 radishes, cut into quarters

1 c. black olives, halved or quartered

1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese

Creamy Yogurt Dressing

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice

3 tbsp. Greek yogurt

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. salt

ground pepper to taste

For the cucumbers, cut off the ends, then cut lengthwise in half and then half again.  Chop and add to a medium bowl.  Add tomatoes, radishes, olives, and feta.  Season with salt and pepper.

For the dressing, whisk all ingredients until well blended and pour over salad.  Toss gently and serve.

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Thank you for this post from contributing writer, Jennifer, of The Chronicles of Home.  You'll definitely want to check out her blog for more amazing recipes, beautiful home decor, and easy-to-follw DIY projects!

Read More