Super Breakfast Soup with Poached eggs, Nettles and Seaweed

I would have taken a picture for you, but ate it all up before I could.

This is a incredibly nourishing shot of minerals, energy and probiotic foods for a morning meal. Or anytime really. I like poached egg soup for breakfast a lot though.

2 cups bone broth or water
1 pinch sea salt
1 tsp tamari (wheat free)
2 tbsp miso ( I use south river miso chickpea miso)
2 eggs
1 tbsp nettle leaves (dried, fresh is better if you have them)
1 tbsp seaweed flakes (kelp, wakame or otherwise)
1 tbsp medicinal mushroom powder (from Mushroom Harvest)
a few heaping spoons of sauerkraut or lacto fermented ginger carrots
1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil

Mix broth,  salt and tamari in a sauce pan, and heat until just simmering.  Reduce heat to medium and crack two whole eggs into the hot water. Cover for 2-3 min to poach.  Add herbs to the pot, and cook until just tender.

Mix miso with 2 tbsp warm water in a bowl, top with kraut or carrots.  Pour hot soup and eggs over the mess in the bowl, top with a spoonful of ghee or coconut oil. 
Eat.

YUM!

Hey, and this even contains all the good foods Sean reccommends for keeping the thryoid healthy in the face of possible radioactive iodine from degrading nuclear plants.

Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy meals pre-order sale!

For my friends and anyone else reading who might be following, thinking of following or working towards a Primal diet and lifestyle, just wanted to share that
Mark Sisson just released a new cookbook!

Its the quick and easy cookbook solution to primal eating. And the deal is if you buy this week (by Sunday) you get 20% off, free shipping, a free primal shopping list chart, and even a free copy if you buy two at once. Share it with friends and or interested family members.

Pre-order here

It looks great, and eating primally can be quick and easy!

Conquering Insulin Resistance Naturally with Nutrition and Herbs: Online Intensive

Conquering Insulin Resistance Naturally with Nutrition and Herbs: Online Intensive

Are you concerned about any of the following modern diseases: Type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, trouble losing weight, cardiovascular health concerns, inflammation, cancer. Did you know that all of these are signs and or symptoms of what is called Syndrome X, or Metabolic Syndrome. Underlying the syndrome/symptoms is a metabolic dysregulation called Insulin Resistance. Much to our dismay, this is rampant in the United States, and is causing health problems for millions of people, some without even knowing! Fortunately for us, there are many natural ways of dealing with and controlling insulin resistance through food, nutrition, herbalism and lifestyle changes. Western medicine will tell you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes or cancer and throw you a medication to control the symptom, but very rarely does the underlying cause of the symptom get addressed.

Join Herbalist and Nutritionist, Darcey Blue, for an 8 week long online intensive covering all aspects of Insulin Resistance and how to manage it naturally through food, herbs and lifestyle changes. We will cover the following topics.

*Physiology of insulin resistance
*Sugar/carbohydrate cravings and addiction
*Nutrient dense foods and meals that control insulin resistance
*Herbs and Supplements
*appropriate and effective exercise specifically for managing IR
*stress and sleep
*the role of inflammation

This course is specifically helpful for those who are working to manage Insulin Resistance in their own lives, but is appropriate for anyone who wants to learn more about health and the roots of many of today's chronic and rampant diseases, or those working with clients or family members with Insuslin resistance.

You will receive bi-weekly lessons and reading material, suggestions for additional resources, assignments which focus on experiencing first hand the ways you can use the suggestions for Insulin Resistance in your own life, personal attention and coaching from Darcey, a supportive group community all working towards the same goal! Classes are run via e-mail mailing list, and weekly computer access is a requirement for the course.

Class runs from July 5- Aug 30
Cost: Sliding scale $150-$200- payments plans are available
Some additional materials (books, herbs) will be needed for the course.

For more details or questions, or to register contact Darcey (shamana.flora@gmail.com or 520-429-2654)
Payments may be made via check/money order or paypal.


About the Instructor:
Darcey Blue French is an herbalist and food lover, who has over the years explored various ways of eating, interacting with food and preparing food. Educated as a Clinical Herbalist and Nutritionist at the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism in 2008, she has been in private practice since that time. She has experience in Ayurvedic Cooking, Vegetarian, Allergen Free, Insulin Resistance diets and the philosophies of Dr. Weston Price. Food is far more than fuel, and Darcey is passionate about food that not only nourishes the body, but also the spirit, and tastes wonderful too. She works closely with plants, both wild and cultivated that provide both food and medicine. She is an avid forager of wild foods, gardener of organic vegetables, and is passionate about local and sustainable food systems, and how our relationship with the land, nature and wilderness impacts our physical and spiritual health and wellbeing. She truly believes that one cannot separate the health of the people from the health of the ecosystem in which they live.

Intense, vibrantly wild and alive!

Perfectly delicious primal pie!

This primal friendly, but still slightly sweet dessert was inspired by two friends on two occasions. It's a cross between a yummy dairy free avocado pudding, and a gluten free raw brownie...turned into a chocolate berry tart extroidonaire! This contains no refined sugar ( I used honey as the sweetener, you could use agave or stevia to go truly low glycemic), no dairy, no gluten, LOTS of luscious fat, protein and antioxidants from raw cacao and berries.

For the pudding:
2 avocados
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp fresh cardamom, ground
1/2 c raw cacao powder (more if you want it more like dark chocolate)
honey or stevia to taste (maybe 2 tbsp honey)

For the brownie:
1 c walnuts
1 c almonds
1 c hemp seeds
(use any combo you like best though)
6 dates
1 c coconut flakes
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 c cacao powder
honey or stevia to taste

Put all ingredients into a food processor and process until it makes a thick fudgy batter. Press this into a thick layer in a pie pan. Pour the pudding into the middle and spread around generously. Top with your favorite berries in a beautiful arrangement, I chose a double spiral of blueberries and raspberries, with blackberry and strawberry border.

Refridgerate for at least an hour to firm up. Serve cool. This will soften and melt a bit at room temperature, so be aware of that. I like it best firm. You could top it with coconut milk for extra creaminess if desired. Enjoy!

Primal Breakfast: Frittata

No this isn't quiche, this is Frittata. It was an egg day, and instead of the usual fried or scrambled ensamble, I made Frittata. This is deceptively easy, and delicious to boot, and a very good meal to take with you. I used a small 8 inch cast iron for my individual appetite, but you may use a bigger pan if you have more mouths to feed.


Choose your selection of veggies and meat if desired. Sliced mushrooms, onions, spinach, tomatoes, green chiles, fennel bulb etc. I had a leek, fennel, spinach and wild olive frittata...here's your chance to get creative with your flavors...basil and tomato w garlic and olives, green chiles and chorizo, bacon, broccoli and red onion. You choose your favorites!
Mine-
1/2 fennel bulb
1 leek (white part)
2 c chopped spinach
a sprinkle of wild olives.
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp sage leaf

Sautee your veggies in butter with salt and pepper. If you are using a meat, you may want to cook this first, then add the veggies to the pan to soften. Preheat your oven to 350 at this point ( and make sure you are using a oven safe pan. If not, you can transfer the veggies to a pie dish after they are cooked)

Sprinkle your veggies with spices (salt, pepper, sage) and cheese if you use it.

6-7 eggs, beaten (for an 8 inch pan, more if your pan is wider)

Beat your eggs well, and pour evenly over the veggies/meat/cheese mixture in the pan. Do not stir. Just put the pan in the nice hot oven, and bake uncovered for 15-20 min, until the middle is firm, and the top just beginning to turn golden.

Serve warm, in quarters. Add a bowl of blueberries, and a green salad or sauteed veggies ( extra from your sautee pan?)

This is relatively easy, but does take some time in the oven, but can easily be whipped up, and put to bake while you shower or tend to other morning chores. Once cool , it can easily be taken with you for lunch or as a snack. I like mine cold as well as warm, but you can warm it up again if you like.

Primal Breakfast: Elk Burgers

Yum! Elk burgers for breakfast! This is a fast fix breakfast if you prepare the patties in advance ( i.e. the night before for supper, or frozen and defrosted) but if you have time in the morning you can make a quick patty.
I chose some nice ground elk meat available at my local grocery store, but if you don't have access to elk, use bison, or even grassfed beef will work. Skip the bun, but keep the fixins for extra flavor and appeal. ( I have to admit, a plain patty doesn't really excite me either, but dress it up with onions, pickles, mustard, tomato = YUM!)
Pair up your primal burger with a mixed veggie salad, or steamed veggies. I had salad prepared from the night before again, to keep things simple and fast. Fresh lettuce, baby beet greens, dandelion leaves, arugula, pickled beets, snap peas, carrots, green onions, a touch of goat cheese and a tahini dressing.

For the burgers:
1 lb ground elk, bison or grassfed beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp sage leaf
1 tbsp wild oregano or regular oregano
2 tsp medium hot chile powder (use mild if you don't like spicy foods)
1 tsp chipotle flakes
black pepper to taste
1 tsp salt
1 egg

Mix all the ingredients well, using your hands makes this easier. Form into 4 1/4 lb patties. Pan fry immediately for approximately 10 min, depending on how thick you have made your patties. (You can grill these too, but firing up the grill in the a.m. is a bit ambitious for me). Or, wrap in wax paper or plastic, and fridge or freeze for later.

Serve burger hot, topped with sliced onion, mustard, horseradish, tomato, pickles ( I added a bit of cheese, not entirely primal), lettuce, or sauteed mushrooms and peppers. Whatever you like.

Another perfectly primal breakfast to keep you going the whole day through. I served my breakfast with a nice steaming cup of spicy chai to wake up my digestive system with carminatives and warming digestive stimulants (ginger, cardamom, orange peel etc).