Peppered Protein Power

There are simply those days when I feel like I need a power boost of protein.

I just CRAVE it.

You know what I mean?

The fresh, clean energy of just pure protein.

And we’re talking real protein here, real food. Not just a powder or a bar. REAL protein.

Next to water, protein makes up most of the weight of our bodies. Muscles, organs, hair, nails and ligaments are all composed of protein, so it’s obvious why protein is an important part of the diet.

But it gets more complex with the brain. The brain and its long spidery neurons are essentially made of fat, but they communicate with each other via proteins that we eat. The hormones and enzymes that cause chemical changes and control all body processes are made of proteins.

Brain cells communicate with one another via chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, which are usually made of amino acids, the building blocks of protein.

What you eat affects which nerve chemicals will be dominant in your brain, which affects how you feel. Carbohydrates can make you feel tired because they increase the brain’s level of the amino acid tryptophan, which in turn spurs the brain to make the calming neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is important for normal sleep patterns, learning, blood pressure and appetite, among many other functions.

As a result of the magic of serotonin, I find myself to be a twilight carb consumer. I like to relax…sprawl…and curl up on the couch in my jammies with the cozy comfort of carbs after dark.

Back to my morning protein cravings, though…

Eating protein raises the levels of another amino acid called tyrosine, which prompts the brain to manufacture norepinephrine and dopamine, other kinds of chemical messengers in the brain. Not as well known as serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine can keep you energized because they promote alertness and activity.

This isn’t to say that to stay alert, you ought to eat mostly protein. A healthy brain produces hundreds of neurotransmitters needed for regular maintenance of the brain and needs proteins to do so. But the brain also needs carbohydrates for fuel and other nutrients for repair and maintenance of brain cells.

For me, I stick to a protein proliferation and prefer the strength of this muscle magnifying matter early in the day.

Call me crazy.

It’s just who I am.

Regardless of your protein partialities ~ a recipe filled with peppered peppers and peppered protein of any sort, will surely rock your world.

Peppered Protein Power

Serves 1

1 tsp. coconut oil
1 large bell pepper (red, orange, yellow, or purple – choose your color preference), roughly chopped
1/2 cup cooked (leftover) ground grass fed beef
3 oz. grilled chicken breast, generously seasoned with salt and pepper
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

In a small skillet, personalized just for you, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the bell pepper. Sauté until golden brown. Add ground beef, chicken, vinegar and seasonings and continue to cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Serve and devour with a vengeance. 

Conquer the day.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Although the heat of summer has officially arrived in my neck of the woods, there are still many a day when I really CRAVE the warmth of a delicious creamy soup in my belly.

And, since mushrooms are available all year round, why not whip up a creamy concoction on one of those rare rainy days we have this time of year?

Creamy Mushroom Soup

1 Tbs. butter, or coconut oil
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 Tbs. Spike seasoning blend (or your favorite savory blend)
plenty of sea salt and pepper
1 Tbs. fresh rosemary, minced
1 lb. sliced mushrooms, button, baby bella, crimini, etc
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy pastured cream, or full fat coconut milk

In a large stock pot, melt the butter or oil and add onion. Sauté until translucent, adding seasoning about halfway through the process. Add salt and pepper as well. Just as things are finishing the process of becoming golden brown, add the fresh rosemary and mushrooms. Cover and allow the mushrooms to release their juices. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer about 5 minutes. 
Transfer half the soup to a high speed blender and puree until smooth.
Add the puree back to the stockpot with the remaining soup and add the cream (add more if you like, in addition to a little salt).
Simmer until heated through and stir well and emulsify the creamy goodness.
Serve topped with plenty of extra pepper and a bit of flaked sea salt.

As always, if you plan ahead, soup is definitely better the next day!

 

Orange Ginger Miso Glazed Salmon and Baby Bok Choy

King Salmon is one of the best things out there – in terms of “fish in the sea,” I suppose. And when it’s available, wild caught, we’d best better run out and catch some!

With a little delicate baby bok choy and a hint of both umami and citrus in the glaze, this dish satisfies each and every piece of the palate.

Orange Ginger Miso Glazed Salmon and Baby Bok Choy

1 lb. wild caught King salmon fillets
lemon sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbs. coconut oil, divided
4 baby bok choy
1 Tbs. mellow white miso paste
Juice of 1 tangerine or navel orange
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. all natural peanut butter – or almond butter

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Once the oven is hot, preheat a cast-iron grill pan – or simply a cast-iron skillet – until piping hot.
Prepare the salmon with generous amounts of lemon salt and pepper.
Once the skillet is hot, add 1 Tbs. oil and place the fillets (most likely two) skin side down and “broil” for 9-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining oil and quickly sauté the baby bok choy until soft, but becoming crisp.
To finish, glaze with the whisked together combination of warm orange juice, miso, and nut butter.

Best paired with SCOTT Pinot Noir.

Truly amazing. I mean A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.