Go Green To Speed Up Your Energy

Drinking a Green Smoothie is a great way to incorporate tremendous amounts of greens into your diet – far more than just eating your veggies. A glass contains more vegetables than many people get in a week!

In our home, my wife is the expert when it comes to smoothies. So, I asked her to share her smoothie secrets with us:

About the author
Rene von Gunten NTP CPT is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, the Nutritional Therapy Association and holds a diploma in Balancing Nutritional Science from the Westbrook University. He is a Los Angeles-based Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and Holistic Nutritionist serving clients locally and internationally via personal or phone/skype consultations. You can find him on Google+ and his website is www.swissnutritioneer.com

LA Foodbitch Recipe: AGUA FRESCA – QUE DELICIOSA!

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With days becoming hotter, I have discovered a new obsession, the wonderfully refreshing Mexican coolers, the aguas frescas. I love their subtle flavors and the feeling that my body gets an internal moisture boost! My favorite is the cucumber agua fresca. Here’s how I prepare it:

AGUA FRESCA DE PEPINO

Makes 4 servings

1 medium cucumber

2 cups cold water

1 cup ice cubes

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

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Peel and seed cucumber and cut into chunks. In a blender blend cucumber with remaining ingredients until completely smooth and pour into a glass pitcher, chill, covered.  Stir  before serving.

LA FOODBITCH: Alpine Bliss

http://www.saeumertaverne.ch

Dreaming of a rustic meal like ‘Aelplermagronen’ in an alpine chalet!

Aelplermagronen
traditional alpine recipe 

9 oz potatoes

salt
9 oz straight hollow noodles
7 oz grated Gruyère cheese
3/4 cup cream
3 Tbsp butter
2 large onions
Directions:

Peel and dice the potatoes. Boil in salted water. Add the noodles shortly before the potatoes are done (read the directions on the package first). The potatoes should be soft. Drain and arrange in alternate layers with the cheese in a deep baking dish. Pour in the cream and place in the hot oven for a few minutes until the cheese melts. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet. Slice the onions and saute until they turn light brown. Spread over the noodles and potatoes.

Serve with apple puree or salad.

LA Foodbitch Recipe: Steve’s Fabulous Duck Breasts

Once again, I had the privilege of having been served a wonderful home-cooked meal prepared by our friend Steve in the cozy Silverlake cottage-style house he shares with his wife Danielle. Steve impressed me with the most amazing duck breast I had in a long time. Marinated in a herb-infused blood orange ‘bath’ and cooked to perfection, it was a very happy experience for my palate. And how refreshing to find, for once, something different than beef or chicken on my plate!

That’s how he prepared the duck breasts (for 4 people):

Trim 4 breasts and place, skin side up, in a dish. Squeeze
the juice of three or four blood oranges over them so the the meat underneath is immersed. Then zest the oranges over the  breasts, and sprinkle with a few fresh thyme leaves, and some chopped fresh rosemary. Let sit in the fridge for a few hours.

Spark up your grill. Drain the marinade. Season both sides with good-quality sea salt and fresh-cracked pepper (especially the skin). When the coals are red but not too hot, place the breasts, with the skin side down on the grill. Let the skin brown and crisp up, but try not to get them too close to the heat — you don’t want them to blacken. Don’t be afraid to move the breasts around, since there’s a lot of fat in the skin that will cause the flames to leap up.

Cook about 6-7 minutes on both sides. Remove and let rest for at least five minutes.

Steve served the duck breasts with vegetables braised in olive oil.

Thanks for sharing, Steve!