This week's health goal: Get Spicy!

This week's health goal: Get Spicy!

No, we don't mean the hot kind of spicy (not that you can't), but you SHOULD experiment with different herbs and spices in your kitchen. Many of these plants are not only tasty, but they also have multiple health benefits. For example, cumin has shown to be anti-inflammatory while also aiding in digestion and helping to regulate the immune system! 

Below we have listed a few spices and herbs commonly found in different cultures. If you're in the mood for something Indian, try adding in turmeric, cumin, and red pepper. If you're in the mood for Moroccan, put clove, cinnamon, and paprika in your dish. You can add as few or as many spices as you want! So get spicy this week, all the while knowing that you're doing something amazing for your body!

Chinese: Anise, Szechuan Peppercorn, Fennel, Cassia, and Clove

Indian: Turmeric, Coriander, Cumin, Fenugreek, and Red pepper

Latin American: Chile, Paprika, Cumin, and Mexican Oregano

Mediterranean: Basil, Bay Leaf, Chervil, Dill, Fennel, Marjoram, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme

Moroccan: Cardamom, Clove, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cumin, Paprika, Mace, Peppercorn, and Turmeric

Thai: Basil, Black pepper, Cardamom, Chile peppers, Cilantro, Cloves, Cumin, Garlic, Ginger, Lemongrass, Turmeric, and White Pepper

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt

Sweet and Tangy Chicken

Sweet and Tangy Chicken

Today, we are making sweet and tangy chicken! Surprisingly, for as many steps as were in this recipe, there weren't too many mistakes. The chicken also turned out to be quite yummy! We would definitely make this recipe again! This recipe comes from Recipes for Repair - A Lyme Disease Cookbook by Gail and Laura Piazza. 

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 large garlic cloves, peeled

2 large chicken breasts with skin and bones, cut in half

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 sprigs rosemary

2 sprigs thyme

2 Tbsp honey

3 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar

3 Tbsp water or chicken stock

1 Tbsp mustard

1/2-1 cup of water (optional if chicken looks like it is becoming dry)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes.

3. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes.

4. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.

5. Remove the onion and garlic from the pan and reserve for later use.

6. Season the skin of the chicken with salt and pepper and add the chicken to the hot pan, skin side down. Cook for 3 minutes, or until browned. Then, turn the chicken and cook for 3 minutes.

7. Add the rosemary and thyme to the pan. (We didn't have sprigs, so we just used fresh rosemary and thyme.)

8. Combine the honey, vinegar, water or stock (just the 3 Tbsp here) and mustard, and stir the mixture into the chicken.

9. Return the onions and garlic to the pan and stir well.

10. Place the pan in the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, check to see if the sauce has become too thick and syrupy; if it has, stir in the remaining 1/2-1 cup water. (Our sauce was already very watery, so we did not add any more. We ended up using chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts and think that is why everything was so juicy!)

11. Turn the chicken breasts and cook for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is nicely browned.

12. Remove the rosemary and thyme sprigs. If the sauce is still too thick, stir in a little more water.

13. Place the chicken on a serving platter and top with the sauce.

This recipe was delicious! Our sauce was very watery and there was definitely no thickness to it, but I don't think that affected the taste at all. However, next time we will use chicken breasts instead of thighs and see if that makes a difference. Good luck and enjoy!

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt

Butternut Squash Risotto

Butternut Squash Risotto

     Today, I am going to attempt to make butternut squash risotto! As usual when cooking with me, there were multiple learning experiences and I actually forgot to add an ingredient this time. However, the good news is that this dish turned out fantastic! The recipe used was found on grubhub. 


Ingredients:

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp ghee
2 large onions, diced
2 tsp salt
2 butternut squashes, peeled, sliced, and cubed
1/4 quarter cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1-2 cups chicken broth


Instructions:
1. Heat the olive oil and ghee in a large pot over low-medium heat. Add the onions and salt. Cook for 15-20 minutes until slightly caramelized, stirring occasionally. 

2. Peel, slice, and cube the butternut squash. (This was my first time actually cutting up butternut squash. I cut the bulb off of the bottom and just used the top part of the butternut squash, so I may have had less than 2 butternut squashes.)

3. Meanwhile, working in batches, place the squash in a food processor and pulse until it reaches a rice-like consistency. (I only had a small food processor and it broke about 3/4 of the way through. I would strongly recommend a full-sized food processor if you're going to attempt putting butternut squash in it.)

4. Add the squash to the pan once the onions are caramelized and saute for 3-4 minutes. Then add the vinegar, parsley, and broth. (The vinegar is the ingredient that I forgot. Oh well, next time! Also, I only put in 1 cup of broth rather than 2 due to the fact that after leaving out the squash bulbs and destroying the food processor about half way through, I now only had about 1 butternut squash all together.)

5. Cover and cook over medium heat for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is completely tender. Add more broth if necessary and salt to taste. 

All in all, I thought this recipe turned out fantastic. The most difficult part was cutting and processing the butternut squash, but other than that, it was a very easy recipe. It also turned out delicious. Everyone in the family liked it, with only one person thinking that it could use a little more seasoning. Next time, I will remember the white wine vinegar and probably add in 2 Tbsp of parsley. Good luck and enjoy!

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt

This week's goal: Prep meals for the week!

This week's goal: Prep meals for the week!

Trying to eat healthy throughout the week can be difficult enough without all of the constant cutting and cooking. It's much easier to make everything all at once! Meal prepping can have a lot of variation between meals or none at all depending on your need for variety. The link below is a great site that shows some easy chicken recipes to make for the week. 

21 Chicken Breast Recipes Made for Meal Prep

Sometimes I will eat the same exact meal a few times in a week, but often I change the recipes up just a little. I'll add in different vegetables, different sauces, or even different spices in each container. This tends to change the taste enough so that nothing gets boring! Experiment and have fun!

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt dc