Your efforts will be well rewarded, though. Moist and flavorful, the turkey basks in a delicious and well-balanced sauce. Many healing ingredients comprise this meal. Fennel is closely related to parsley, carrots and dill. It has played an important role in the traditional food culture of France and Italy, dating back to ancient times. Supporting many of the body’s systems, fennel is particularly helpful for cardiovascular and colon health.
 
Prep

• 1 bunch green onions
• 2 bulbs fennel
• ¼ pound shiitake mushrooms
• 1 bunch chard
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 inches fresh ginger

 
Roughly chop onions, fennel, mushrooms and chard. Peel and mince or press garlic. Grate ginger.
 
Marinade

• 2 inches fresh ginger
• 2 limes
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds turkey cutlets

 
Grate ginger. Juice limes. In a small bowl, whisk together sesame oil, ginger, tamari, lime juice and pepper. Marinate turkey in this mixture for 1 hour.
 
Rice

• 2¼ cups chicken broth
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 cups uncooked sprouted rice
• ½ teaspoon salt

 
Meanwhile, start rice; bring 2¼ cups chicken broth and 1 can coconut milk to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in rice and ½ teaspoon salt; cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat, set aside.
 
Turkey

• 4 tablespoons coconut flour
• 2 tablespoon coconut oil

 
When the marinating hour is nearly up, preheat oven to 350°. Oil a large, ovenproof skillet and heat over medium-high heat.
 
Remove turkey from marinade, discard marinade. Dust with coconut flour and fry about 1 minute on each side.
 
Cover and bake until turkey reaches an internal temperature of 170°, or about 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
 
Sauce

• 3 tablespoons tamari
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons almond butter

 
For the sauce, whisk together fresh ginger, tamari, rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, almond butter and 2 tablespoons water. Set aside.
 
Vegetables

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• ¼ cup chicken broth

 
Sauté green onions and garlic in coconut oil over medium heat. Add fennel and mushrooms, continue to cook, stirring frequently until mushrooms soften. Add broth and chard and cook until bright green. Toss veggies with some of the sauce.
 
Serve
Serve veggies and turkey over rice, with a drizzle of sauce.
 
Preparation: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Serves: 4

This salad is sweet and tangy, providing a wealth of taste sensations as well as an abundance of vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein. You might be surprised to see maple syrup included here, but don’t be, this natural sweetener is a powerful antioxidant, providing B vitamins, and minerals such as zinc and potassium. Black-eyed peas are a good source of soluble fiber, potassium, folate, manganese and beta-carotene.
 
Prep

• ½ cup cashews
• 1 cup dried black-eyed peas

 
Chop cashews and toast in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside.
 
If using dried black-eyed peas, cook according to package directions to make two cups cooked beans. Drain, rinse and set aside to cool. Substitute drained and rinsed canned beans, if you prefer.
 
Dressing

• 1 large garlic clove
• ½ inch ginger
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon Himalayan salt
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mince garlic and grate ginger. Whisk together, along with olive oil, lime juice, turmeric, maple syrup, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
 
Salad

• ½ cup dried dates
• 4-6 carrots
• 1 bunch kale
• ⅓ cup fresh cilantro
• 1 avocado
• ½ cup goat feta or parmesan cheese

 
Chop dates into small pieces, being mindful of the pits. Shred enough carrots to make 1½ cups. Chop kale, including stems. Chop cilantro. Peel and dice avocado.
 
In a medium bowl, combine the carrots, black-eyed peas, dried dates, cashews, kale and cilantro. Mix in dressing and gently toss until everything is evenly coated. Toss in avocado and cheese. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
 
Preparation: 45 minutes
Serves: 4

You will end up with flavorful meat for chicken tacos, taco salads, or even Mexican flavored stir fry.  The chicken can last for more than one meal, giving you a base for multiple dinner options and lunches.

As we stay committed to wellness, we need to always adjust and be flexible without compromising nourishment essentials.  We know how time-consuming life can be, and sometimes cooking just isn’t a top priority.  That’s why we want to remind you this week to utilize that slow cooker so you can use cooking time to slow down and connect.  Enjoy this recipe and have fun experimenting in your life integrating quality food and quality time.

Prep

• 2 limes
  

Juice limes.

Slow cooker

• ½ cup fresh cilantro
  
• 1 packet of taco seasoning (I like Simply Organic gluten-free organic taco seasoning)
• ½ cup of water or you can add a mild jar of salsa instead
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker. This could be cooked on low all day, or you could set the slow cooker to high and cook for four hours. Once the chicken is cooked, use a fork to shred it, and stir well.

Serve

• 1 avocado
  
• shredded cheese
  
• salsa
• 1 tomato

Peel & slice avocado, dice tomatoes.

Spoon chicken into soft sprouted tortillas or organic taco shells. Top with cheese, avocado,  salsa, and tomatoes. Garnish with a few lime wedges.

Preparation: 10 minutes, plus 4 or 8 hours to cook
Serves: 4

Always a hit with the family, feel free to adjust the amount of chile peppers accordingly. Chile peppers owe their heat to capsaicin. Capsaicin is being studied as a treatment for sensory nerve fiber disorders. While I don’t often recommend nightshades such as chile peppers and tomatoes, in moderation, they do offer plenty of health benefits. If your body does not react well to them, by all means, leave them out. This tasty salad will still be delicious!
 
Prep

• 2 Thai chile peppers
  
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 inches fresh ginger
  
• ½ cup cilantro
• ½ cup basil
• ½ cup red onion
• 1 cucumber
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 pound flank steak
• 4 limes
• 1 head romaine

 
Seed and chop chile peppers. Peel and roughly chop garlic and ginger. Chop cilantro. Cut basil into ribbons. Thinly slice onion crosswise. Slice cucumber and tomatoes. Cut steak slices across the grain. Juice limes. Tear romaine leaves into bite-sized pieces.
 
Sauce

• ¼ cup tamari
  
• ¼ cup fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses

 
In a blender or a food processor, pulse peppers, garlic and ginger until finely chopped. Add tamari, fish sauce, molasses, cilantro and lime juice; process until well combined. Separate ⅓ cup of mixture for salad dressing, set aside.
 
Dressing

• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  

 
Whisk reserved sauce with sesame oil to make salad dressing.
 
Salad
In a large bowl, toss romaine, basil, onion, cucumber and tomatoes with salad dressing.
 
Steak

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté steak over medium-high heat for 1 minute per side and toss with remaining sauce.
 
Serve
Divide salad among dishes, top with steak slices.
 
Preparation: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

In addition to antioxidants, each cup of black beans provides 15 grams of protein and fiber. Black beans also contain small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids about 3 times as much as other beans. The cilantro not only adds depth to the flavor, but also has been shown to aid digestion and sooth inflammation. The cumin enhances the taste of the salad while promoting the assimilation of other foods. You can also substitute or add a variety of other ingredients such as dark green leafy vegetables and scallions.
 
Prep

• 1½ cups quinoa
  
• 1 can black beans
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 avocado
• 2 carrots
• 3 dates
• ½ cup cilantro
• 2½ limes

Rinse and drain quinoa and beans. In a saucepan, bring broth to a boil, add quinoa, cover and simmer on low heat until all the water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 10 – 15 minutes. Allow to cool.
Peel and chop avocado. Grate carrots. Chop dates and cilantro. Juice limes.

Dressing

• 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  
• 1 teaspoon cumin, or more to taste
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, vinegar, cumin, oil, and salt; whisk.

Salad

• ⅓ cup goat cheese crumbles
  

In a large bowl, mix cooked quinoa, beans, avocado, carrots, dates and cilantro. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture, sprinkle in crumbled goat cheese, toss gently.

Serve
Dish onto plates, enjoy!

Preparation: 30 minutes
Serves: 4