Salmon Endive Poppers

 Sometimes the easiest, healthiest dishes are the ones that you don't need to cook. Meal ready in minutes. Just slice and mince, put it together, and you're done. 

 

Ingredients:

• 1-2 heads endive
• Slices of smoked salmon
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• 1  avocado, sliced (can substitute/include cream cheese, sour cream, or creme fraiche)
• sea salt or soy sauce to season
• freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil

Directions, just place the endive leaves onto a plate. Top with a slice of smoked salmon and a slice of avocado.  Sprinkle on some onions on top.  Drizzle with olive oil, soy sauce, or season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Miso Soup (as an excellent breakfast)

Once in a while, we here at the clinic get asked: "What can we eat for breakfast? I was so used to having milk and cereal."

Cereal is quick and convenient, but for the purposes of health or losing weight, the majority of store bought breakfast cereals will just spike your blood sugar, make it easier to gain weight. Adding cold milk doesn't help either.  Drinking anything cold (including cold water) deactivates enzymes in your body that are necessary for your metabolism and digestion. You'll feel bloated, slow, and perhaps sleepy. Not the best way to start your morning.

I know many times, other cultures will observe Asian people like the Japanese and wonder: "How do they stay so slender?"

A traditional Japanese breakfast will usually include miso soup.  Everyday.  So much such that it is an old-fashioned, round-about way of making a marriage proposal to someone (Will you make miso soup for me every morning?)

It's hot and soothing. Low in calories, high in quality protein, a good source of fiber and B-vitamins, and various other nutrients.  Plus the tryptophan in miso soup can be beneficial for possible depression and anxiety.  Studies done at Japan's National Cancer Center has shown that consuming miso can help reduce risk of breast cancer.

You can buy miso at the Japanese market such as Marukai, Mitsuwa, or Nijiya.  99 Ranch Markets also tend to carry miso paste.  

Ingredients:
4 cups water
3 Tablespoons miso paste (can be white miso, red miso, etc)

Add to taste:
Sliced scallions/green onion
Minced garlic
Sliced mushroooms
Kimchi
Wakame
Eggs
Diced tofu 

Directions:
Just bring water to a simmer, and mix in miso paste.  You can put mushrooms in, wakame, or add an egg to poach in the simmering broth.  Add the minced garlic, kimchi, or scallions at the end once you take it off the heat.  Quick and easy.

Poached Eggs over greens with Matushisa Dressing (smoked salmon optional)

This is more a less a great vegetarian dish (not vegan though), made up of eggs, salad greens of your choice, and Matsuhisa dressing.  Very fresh, very tasty, and free of refined carbs; so eat yourself to a thinner you.

Poached eggs are great as they are not heavily cooked, allowing for rich, runny yolk with plenty of nutrients intact.  Fresh greens are a nice, raw accent.  The Matsuhisa Dressing is a specialty from celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa, as served at his high-end restaurants.  It could be noted that Japanese Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto was working as Executive Chef for Nobu in New York, while he was also the active battling Iron Chef in Japan.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 tsp vinegar
Spinach (or choice of romaine, mixed baby greens, kale, etc)
Optional: smoked salmon

Matsuhisa Dressing:
3/4 cup finely chopped shallots, or Maui onion, or red onion, etc.
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons water
Pinch sea salt
1/4 teaspoon powdered mustard
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons grapeseed oil
4 teaspoons sesame oil

Crack open an egg, and place into a strainer. Let the excess water in the egg drip away.  In a pot of boiling water, gently slip the egg into the water, bring down the heat.  It will cook in about 4 minutes, when you can remove the egg with a slotted spoon. Do this for both eggs.

For the dressing, mix all the ingredients together except the oils. Once mixed, add the oils at the end and mix some more. Then you can mix and toss the dressing into the salad/greens. 

Plate the greens, and place the poached eggs on top. Season with salt and black pepper. And you're done! Ready to serve.  If you have trouble poaching eggs, cooking the eggsunny side up in butter will also work as a substitute.

Feel free to add cherry or heirloom tomatoes, or other ingredients of your choice like red onions or cheese.