First, a confession: I recently purchased 14 lbs. of wild-caught salmon from VitalChoice (arguably one of the best wild seafood sources in the world), knowing full well that I seriously dislike the taste of salmon. I do not mind them personally – I think they are swell sea creatures – but the taste of cooked salmon does not bode well with me. I will take stinky canned tuna over any sort of salmon any day. However, I know salmon is perhaps one of the healthiest foods in the world, and contains a myriad of antioxidants (astaxanthin for the win!) and omega 3 fatty acids. It is easy to digest, looks pretty, and is easy to prepare – but how do I get past the taste? Well, I thought, I love the taste of teriyaki or anything remotely resembling teriyaki, so that got my inner wheels turning about using my faux soy sauce (coconut aminos) and a sweet glaze to downplay the strong flavor of the fish. The results practically made me purr.

For those of you without this salmon-aversion problem, friggin cook it however you want to, but this one will be a winner for anyone who thinks they cannot eat salmon.

Simple Sweet & Savory Glazed Salmon

You will need:

• 16–24 oz. wild-caught salmon filet, boneless (do not get skinless – keep that skin on!)
• 2–3 Tbsp. coconut aminos
• Raw, unfiltered honey
• Garlic granules (garlic powder will also suffice)
• Chicken or fish seasoning blend
• (Optional) a little powdered ginger or ginger juice

See how short that ingredient list is? You probably have everything already, except maybe the coocnut aminos, which you can get here or at a local Whole Foods or health store.

So here’s how you do it:

• First, make sure your salmon is nowhere near frozen. If it is frozen, keep it wrapped in its package and put it in a container of water to thaw. Once thawed, give it a nice rinse under cool water and lightly pat dry (no one wants to eat towel lint).
• Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• Line a baking tray with foil or unbleached parchment paper.
• Put the salmon skin-side down on the foil/paper.
• Drizzle coconut aminos onto the salmon and let it soak in. Depending on the size of the filet, you may use 2–3 Tbsp. Use what you feel is necessary.
• Sprinkle on garlic granules and fish seasoning to your taste. I use about 1 tsp. each to really get the salmon coated in the seasonings. This would also be the time to apply your choice of ginger, should you choose to use it.
• In a zig-zag motion, drizzle honey onto the salmon. If you have a squeeze bottle of raw, unfiltered honey, just squeeze it straight out of there. If not, scoop out a Tablespoon and make a nice light drizzle over the filet.
• Done! Once the honey is on, don’t touch it, otherwise it will get all smeary and stick to you instead of the fish.
• Bake for 15–20 minutes. Check on it at 15 minutes to see how it’s doing. You know it’s ready when it flakes easily with a fork and looks mighty fine.

Hint: When you serve up a nice piece of this salmon filet, make sure to get that nice brown fat that lies right under the skin. Omega 3 fatty acids are highly concentrated in that brown part, so go for it. Your body (and your skin) will thank you.

I hope you enjoy! If you have any salmon recipes of your own, do share them with me in the comments below – I would love to try them out.
~Steph  x

So. My little “reset” has been a long time coming. I wanted to do one in January. Then February. Then I forgot all about it. I watched Fat Sick & Nearly Dead for the fifth time, was briefly inspired, then stopped juicing about 5 days later when I got nauseous from my overzealous attempt at a kale juice.

Anyway, doctors and nutritionists like to argue that most cleanses aren’t safe or effective, and I generally agree (especially when it comes to junk like the “Master Cleanse”). But I’m not looking to “cleanse” – I’m looking to drown myself in nutrients. Generous quantities of juice from fresh organic heavy-hitters like kale and cucumber and beets? Now that is a vitamin and mineral bonanza. Granted, the protein value is relatively low and incomplete (example: 1 cup of kale = 2.2 g protein), but I am not concerned about developing a protein deficiency over the course of 5 days. That would take weeks of failing to consume the bare minimum to sustain my metabolic processes.

In case you’re wondering why I’m embarking on this 5-day juicing adventure, I have three reasons:

1. I love how easy and mindless it is to just pick up an already-prepared juice (that I made, of course) and not have to think about making anything. My choice has already been made for me. Easy!
2. I love the psychological effects of a juice cleanse – you feel like you’re doing something so enriching for your body that it can’t help but make your brain bounce with happiness, and your brain being happy in turns makes your body feel even better. It’s one grand feedback loop.
3. I need to reset my taste buds. I was indulging in one too many treats (almond milk ice cream, anyone?), and that has a negative effect on my skin. I was talking to my new friend Kelly the other day and she was telling me about her cravings, and what I said to her was something I actually needed to hear for myself: “would I rather have junk food or clear skin?”

I poured through some of my older notes and books, referenced Clean and my massive university nutrition textbook, and used Ritual Cleanse and Blueprint Cleanse to help determine the order of juices. Instead of spending $80-$100 per day for a pre-made juice cleanse program, I am going to do it myself.

Here’s the plan, Stan.

• Each day consists of four juices (green and red), a lemonade, and a dairy-free milk.

• There are 6 drinks total at 16 oz. each. Drink one every 2–3 hours with plenty of filtered water in between.

• This is the order of consumption:

1. Green Juice
2. Red Juice
3. Green Juice
4. Lemonade Juice
5. Green Juice
6. Nut Milk

The green juice comes first since it is nutrient dense and will make me feel satiated. The red juice is for vitamin and mineral diversity and breaks up all the green drinkin’. The lemonade? There’s no reason for it really, other than I love lemonade, it’s refreshing, and every friggin’ cleanse company out there has one in their plan. The nut milk comes last because it is “heavy” and filling and will take longer to digest. It’s a good opportunity to get in some important fats.

From left to right: Green, Red, Lemonade, Nut Milk

I sort of winged it last night when I was juicing and wrote down the approximate recipes for each juice. If you plan on replicating the recipes, remember that fruits and veggies contain varying amount of water, so you may have to adjust. And buy organic as much as possible.

Let me know if you have any questions! Or if you have any recipes or comments about your own juice cleanse. My juice week has started today and as I type this I am two juices in and feeling great. I seriously can’t wait for the nut milk though.
~Steph  x

Blueberry Coconut Pancakes with Peppered Eggs

This is an “Epic Beauty Guide Approved” breakfast that will contribute to clear, glowing skin. It is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and has plenty of healthy fat, fiber, and protein – exactly what you need to for your first meal of the day. Unlike oatmeal or sugary cereal, this will keep you full for hours (for me, it lasts 4 hours, which is a miracle).

P.S. A note about fat. Everything you have been taught about fat by the mainstream media is wrong (especially if you are an American). Fat is good for you. Fat does not make you fat (unless you’re eating a ton of nuts/seeds every day). AND – gasp! – it is best to cook and fry in animal fats like beef tallow, bacon fat/grease, duck fat, etc. or coconut oil. They are extremely stable at higher temperatures and do not cause free radical damage like veggie oils do if cooked at the same higher temps. If you use a veggie oil for anything, stick to olive oil, and use a lower heat setting.

For the pancakes
(makes 5–8 pancakes depending on how big you make them – I recommend making them smaller so they are easier to work with)

• 4 pastured or Omega 3 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. grade B maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. full-fat coconut milk (from the can – the only ingredients should be coconut, water, and maybe guar gum, nothing else)
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 cup coconut flour (sifted)
• 1/4 cup blueberries (organic is strongly preferred)
• Coconut oil for cooking

 Substitution Options: Carageenan-free (preferably homemade) almond milk instead of coconut milk. Liquid stevia extract instead of maple syrup. Raspberries or dairy-free chocolate chips instead of blueberries. 

What you’re going to do

1. Crack the eggs into a medium mixing bowl and, using a whisk or hand mixer, beat them for about a minute.
2. Add the other wet ingredients (maple syrup, coconut milk) to the eggs. Mix well.
3. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda to the bowl of wet ingredients. Mix well.
4. Using a flour sifter, add the coconut flour into the same bowl as everything else. Sifting it will make the pancakes lighter and fluffier, and get out any clumps.
5. Use your whisk or hand mixer and make sure everything is totally blended and there are no clumps.
6. Now leave the bowl alone and let it sit for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, heat your coconut oil in a pan on medium/medium-high heat.
7. After 5 minutes, scoop about 1/4 cup (or a little less) of the batter onto the pan. Sprinkle the blueberries onto each pancake. Cook each pancake 2–3 minutes each side (do not rush this, otherwise you won’t be able to flip them). Flip and cook the other side.
8. Set the pancakes aside to cool a bit and move onto the eggs.

For the eggs

• 2 pastured or Omega 3 eggs
• Sea salt
• Peppercorns

What you’re going to do

1. Heat up some coconut oil in the empty pancake pan. Either way, keep the heat medium/medium high.
2. Crack the two eggs into the pan, and give enough space between the two so they don’t run together. Sprinkle a little sea salt to taste on each one. Use your pepper grinder to pepper the eggs to taste.
3. Let them cook untouched for about a minute or two, or until you see the white solidify. Flip it over carefully (try not the break the yolk). Cook on that side just briefly, maybe 30–60 seconds.
4. Serve atop two coconut pancakes. Definitely start out with just two pancakes and 2 eggs, as it’s very filling.

Nom away!
~Steph  x