Restaurant Review: Healthy Lifestyle Cuisine

Restaurant Review: Healthy Lifestyle Cuisine

First of all WOW!!!! This place is phenomenal! I went down to Ft. Lauderdale this week to meet with CEO Patrick Bet-David, and one of my business associates has family in the area. They own and operate a health conscious restaurant called Healthy Lifestyle Cuisine. I've been making great strides to eat a healthier diet. Having the information is useless without application! So, I made the decision to eat more fruits and veggies while on the road. I started off doing GREAT! I stopped at Publix and bought fruit and salad instead of eating Burger King (I didn't drive most of the trip, so I got to eat LOL), so I was very pleased when we started talking about visiting my associate's family business!

Her mother and sister are running the show down in Miami Gardens, and if you are in the area, IT IS WORTH THE VISIT!!!! I ordered a Sundried Tomato grilled Tilapia wrap. I had not looked at a menu since my phone was dead, so I didn't know what I ordered LOL I was beyond pleasantly surprised! That wrap was EVERYTHING I ever hoped for!! It was a Sundried Tomato wrap with sauteed peppers and onions with Italian dressing and they were not shy with the fillings!! It also came with a boiled egg and a pickle for $10. Everything was seasoned to perfection, and it was big enough to feed me AND my 3 year old!!! I wish I could have taken pictures, but my phone was dead :(

Later on, I tried a chicken sandwich wrap... EPIC & DELICIOUS!!!!! It was very light and filling! My mom had the fried Tilapia with steamed broccoli and corn, and we all talked about that food from the time we left until now as I write this blog!!!! If you're in the area, you really need to visit Healthy Lifestyle Cuisine!!

~Shanta

Healthy Lifestyle Cuisine
1806 NW 183 St.
Miami Gardens, FL 33056

DIY: Almond Milk

DIY ALMOND MILK

I recently ventured into an exciting project: HOMEMADE ALMOND MILK!!! It was very exciting and it turned out delicious. I will outline the steps that I took to make my almond milk, but I can't guarantee a recipe because I didn't measure anything (SORRY!).

1. Soak your almonds (cashews, walnuts, pecans, etc) 12 hours or over night.
2. Strain and rinse the nuts.
3. Add nuts to blender with just enough water to cover them and allow them a little room to float. Not too much water as it won't mix properly.
4. Blend the mixture on high until all nuts are broken down and a fine meal is created.
5. Fill blender with water, and mix again thoroughly.
6. Add honey, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, or any spices here and mix again.
7. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a mason jar or other container.
8. Refrigerate and enjoy!! My mixture was good for about a week, but I recommend drinking within 3-4 days. It will separate, so you will need to shake it to incorporate before use.
9. Save that almond or nut meal and add it to pancakes, muffins, breads, smoothies, etc. It's a great source of protein!

Give it a try! You'll love it!!

Jamaican Stewed Peas & Fish and Dumplings, My Version

Tonight I experimented with a Jamaican recipe for Stewed Peas and Fish. I used Sprouted black beans and Haddock for this recipe, and it turned out DELICIOUS! I feel like a fat cat lying in the window! Cooking is one of my passions, and I love experimenting with different foods and cultures. It is one of my favorite creative outlets. I rarely cook with a recipe, but I'll try to give you approximate measurements below.

Stewed Sprouted Black Beans w/Haddock
14 oz Haddock filet (frozen)
13 oz Coconut milk (canned, only coconut milk and water)
8 oz by weight sprouted Black Beans
half a large green bell pepper (chopped)
1 small red (purple) onion (chopped)
3 small cloves garlic (minced)
16 oz vegetable stock (unsalted)
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs thyme
.5 tsp red pepper flakes
.5 tbs garlic powder
salt to taste

Dumplings
.5 cup flour
.25 tsp salt
.25 cup water (add more as necessary)

In a medium sized cast iron dutch oven (or any dutch oven or deep pot), sautee onion, garlic, and bell pepper until translucent. Chop frozen fish into chunks and add to pot. Add beans. Add thyme, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Stir well. Add coconut milk and vegetable stock. Simmer for 2-2.5 hours. Add stock as needed to keep from scorching! During the last 45 minutes of cook, make the dumplings. To make the dumplings, combine flour and salt into a bowl and add water until a soft ball of dough forms. Pinch small balls of dough and roll into inch long dumplings. Drop into pot. Cook 25-30 minutes. Serve over rice with your choice of vegetables. Next time I make this recipe, I'll try to take measurements. Enjoy :)

SPROUTS!!!

I love to sprout! I love sprouting! OOOOOOWEEEEE! Ain't nothin' like it :)

But seriously, I truly enjoy sprouting, especially mung beans and lentils. I started sprouting earlier this year. My first sprouts were lentils. The process was very simple, and they sprouted without any effort. I started sprouting because I enjoy eating beans but they usually cause me a lot of discomfort.

I started some research on sprouting after I talked to my mail carrier, Jean the mean mail carrying Machine. He told me that sprouting beans unlocks their nutritional potential and it helps break down the enzymes that cause stomach discomfort and help make the beans easier to digest. I found out that Jean knew exactly what he was talking about.

The sprouted beans didn't cause me any discomfort and I found several recipes that I could use to help ease me into the raw food life. Sprouted Lentils and Mung beans can be eaten "raw," and they taste phenomenal!

How to sprout: I use a very simple technique for sprouting. I add the beans to the jar, soak 8-12 hours or overnight, rinse daily, and allow to "air dry" between rinses. I bought the jars in the picture from Hobby Lobby at 50% off and I got my cheese cloth from the Dollar Tree. I used gallon jugs of spring water or distilled water from Wal-Mart for rinsing and soaking the beans. These jars can hold up to 24 oz. When you start to sprout, remember SPROUTS GROW! Even though these jars are large, I only add 2 oz or 1/4 cup of beans, lentils, legumes etc to the jar.

I cover the lentils with water and soak 8-10 hours, rinse, and allow them to sit in an open are of my kitchen so that they do not get over heated and turn rancid during the sprouting process. I rinse them in clean, fresh water every day and watch the sprouts begin to grow. Since I'm contending with Alabama heat and humidity, my sprouts usually sprout within 48 hours of soaking! I follow the same process with black beans, kidney beans, red beans and other large beans; however, I soak them 12-24 hours. The rest of the process is the same. These are not special seeds or beans. I get them from my local Wal-Mart and Publix. Try your hand at sprouting, and tell me how you like it.