Herb Infused Burger Atop Blueberry Tamarind Sauce With Slaw

The creativity was flowing on this day and I had a bunch of fresh local blueberries and a block of tamarind paste in the refrigerator.  

It all started with a sauce and then the burger and slaw came into being.  If using tamarind, you will need to pair it with sweetness since it is a bit sour (similar to lemon).  

The meat, slaw and sauce pair perfectly on a warm summer night.  The piece that takes this dish over the edge is the finishing salts because they give that added element that brings all the ingredients together on the plate.

Ingredients:

1)  2 lbs of ground beef of your choice
2)  1/2 head of organic green or purple cabbage
3)  1 cup of organic blueberries
4)  1 tablespoon of tamarind paste (or to taste)
5)  1 tablespoon of raw organic honey
6)  1 large onion grated
7)  1 bunch of cilantro chopped
8)  1/2 cup olive oil
9)  3-4 cloves of garlic minced
10) plain sea salt, Thai Ginger sea salt, Ghost Pepper sea salt

Directions:

Prepare your ground beef by adding the beef, grated onions, chopped cilantro, olive oil, minced garlic and about a teaspoon of plain sea salt into a large mixing bowl.  

Incorporate all the ingredients well and let rest anywhere between 2-24 hours.  The longer the beef rest in a covered bowl in the refrigerator the more flavorful your burgers will be.

Prepare the sauce by adding the tamarind and blueberries to a small saute pan.  Gently heat the mixture and add the honey and two pinches of Thai Ginger sea salt.  If you have an immersion blender use this in a deep bowl to blend all ingredients smoothly.  Add a bit of water to get your desired thickness.  I used a Nutribullet and it worked perfectly.

Next, make a simple slaw and by simple I mean just shred your cabbage and dress it lightly with olive oil, a little mayonnaise and a touch of vinegar.  

I cooked the burgers on an outdoor grill and plated it on top of about two tablespoons of the blueberry tamarind sauce.  

Then I topped the burger with a simple slaw and added a pinch of Ghost Pepper to add a bit of heat to this layered stack of goodness! 


Keeping it Real, Keeping it Simple!

Raw Sliced and Spiced Brussel Sprouts

I love the look and taste of brussel sprouts raw and cooked!

I have been trying to incorporate more raw food into our diet since raw has all of the nutritional value intact and nothing is lost through the cooking process.

I had a stalk of brussel sprouts delivered from a local farm bag company, Local Fare, and decided to make a raw salad with a few of these little gems.

Ingredients:
1)  Stalk of brussel sprouts
2)  2 tablespoons of coconut oil
3)  1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
4)  1 tablespoon of raw organic honey
5)  Jalapeno
6)  Thai Ginger sea salt

Directions:

Thinly slice the brussel sprout and arrange on a plate. Heat the oil and honey in a small sauce pan and drizzle over plated sliced raw brussel sprouts.  Finely chop a raw jalapeno and add to the sliced sprouts.  Finish this dish with Thai Ginger sea salt.

The freshness of the brussel sprouts shine through and are heightened by the sauce.  The Thai Ginger sea salt 'Simply Elevates' this dish with a sea salty crunch and ginger flavor!

Sweet and Spicy Bok Choy

We received a really nice big head of bok choy the other day from a local farmer.  This bok choy was so beautiful, nice white thick stalks and large dark green leaves.  It was begging to be made into a sweet and spicy dish!

I have always had bok choy in my Chinese take out, but never really made it until now.  First thought that came to mind was a quick broil followed by a light saute.  

Ingredients:
1)  1 large bok choy or 2 small bok choy
2)  Jalepeno
3)  2 tablespoons of coconut oil
4)  1 tablespoon of raw organic honey
5)  1 dash of Bragg's liquid amino's or soy sauce
6)  1 medium red onion

Directions:

Chop off the end stem and cut the bok choy into strips.  Drizzle all with coconut oil and lay on a baking tray.  Broil at 425 degrees for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a large saute pan.  The broiling gives a little bit of the pieces with a crunch and the remainder is sauteed for a few minutes with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of raw organic honey.  

Plate the bok choy and garnish with diced raw jalapeno, thin sliced red onions and finish with Thai Ginger sea salt.

Enjoy!

Banana Apple Caramel Bread Pie Dusted with Thai Ginger Sea Salt

We love dessert and I have been playing around with gluten free and refined sugar free desserts that retain their fullness, richness and tastes great!

I have modified this banana bread a little bit to add in apple, caramel and sea salt!

Ingredients:


1) 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
2) 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
3) 3/4 cup of almond flour
4) 1/4 cup of coconut flour
5) 2 tablespoons of olive oil
6) 3 eggs
7) 2 very ripe bananas
8) 1/4 cup of raw organic honey
9) 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, (optional)
10) Thinly sliced apples

Caramel Sauce:

1) 2 tablespoons of raw organic honey
2) 2 tablespoons of pastured grass fed butter
3) 1 tablespoon of heavy cream


Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350° F/175° C.  Blend all the dry ingredients together in one bowl and add the 
wet ingredients together.  Mix the wet and dry ingredients together with a mixer to ensure batter is well blended.

Oil, butter or add parchment paper to a 9" pie pan.  Add the batter to a baking dish. I added a sheet of parchment paper to the pan, it gives a fluted edge to the bread and is pretty when plated.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean.

Prepare the caramel sauce by heating the honey and butter in a small saucepan.  Stir constantly until the mixture begins to bubble, thicken and become darker in color.  Once the desired color is achieved turn down the heat and add in the heavy cream.  Continue stirring and then remove from heat.  Allow the sauce to cool for 5 minutes prior to adding over your slice of pie.  

Sprinkle Thai Ginger sea salt over the caramel to take this dessert over the top!

Short Cake and Thai Ginger Honey

Salt and Dessert?  You bet!

Sweet and salty is a great combination and when executed correctly it is amazing!

I'm really big on a gluten free and refined sugar free and will always opt for this version.

This is a very simple short cake that is absolutely amazing and healthy.

Short Cake Recipe:

     1/3 cup melted organic grass fed butter
     6 eggs, lightly beaten
     1/4 tsp sea salt
     1/2 cup raw organic honey
     1 tbsp vanilla extract
     1/4 tsp almond extract
     1/2 cup of sifted coconut flour

Bake in greased muffin pan or 8 x 8 pan in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.  When the tops begin to brown take out and cool on a wire rack.

'Simply Elevate' Topping:

1)  Fresh fruit, we choose organic blueberries
2)  Freshly grated organic lemon zest soaked in raw     organic honey and dusted with Thai Ginger sea salt.

The Thai Ginger sea salt and honey is a fantastic duo on this delicious cake!

Seasoned Cream Cheese and Veggies

Want a quick bite with some flavor!  Are you always reaching for the quick bag of chips or other pre-made boxed snack?

I've got a great alternative that will give you that same flavor satisfaction with the same ease of preparation and best of all, better for your body in the long run.

It's chopped raw veggies...with a kick!  Take your favorite cream cheese and sprinkle it with a seasoned sea salt blend! It is amazing what a little fresh, natural seasoning will do for the simplest of ingredients.

Thai Ginger Sea Salt is so good on raw vegetables and we added a little Ghost Pepper for some heat!  Remember not too much, just enough to add flavor and add all the mineral goodness only fresh natural sea salt can provide.

Try and eat about 80% raw vegetables to take advantage of all of the live enzymes in these little gems.  Remember color is representative on of what the vegetable contains...try and include as many colors as possible.

Sunchoke Chips 'Simply Elevated'!

Are you avoiding processed potato chips, but crave them like I do?

Are you adventurous and love to try new things?  Then sunchokes are something you should definetely experiment with!

They are a cross between a potato and a rutebaga, only richer, nuttier and sweeter.

They might be a little intimidating to look at, but they are just as easy to work (just like potatoes).  Just scrub the outer side, peel any spots you feel uncomfortable with and then treat like a potato!

I love potato chips and I do not eat them anymore because I react to the specific starch in potato, BUT not in these little gems!

I scrub and peel (as necessary) and then thinly slice.  I heat up a large pan with coconut oil and then throw these lovely slices in the hot coconut bath!  

Turn and watch them...once they turn golden brown strain them on a plate with a paper towel.  

Sprinkle with any of the blended sea salts:  We love Ghost Pepper, Spanish Rosemary, Sun Ripened Tomato, Thai Ginger and Smoked Serrano...just really depends on our mood or what we are serving them with!

Thai Ginger Cabbage Slaw

This is easy, easy....

Nice head of organic cabbage, purple or green.  Slice thinly and mix with olive oil, lemon juice and finish with Thai ginger sea salt.

Again the crunch and texture of the sea salt enhances the natural flavors of the cabbage....enhancing every bite!

Great as a side or add some grilled shrimp to make it a meal!

Banana and Chocolate Spruced Up with Thai Ginger Sea Salt

Ok, I admit this was a late night indulgence!  Needed a sweet bite of something.  

The chocolate pudding is a homemade version and is thick and healthy.  Yes, healthy...it is made by throwing two medium ripe avocados in a blender along with a cup of unsweetened cocoa and 1/2 cup of honey.  Believe me, it is the best pudding!  

Dollop it over a couple of fresh sliced bananas.  It's decadent, rich and intensified with the Thai ginger sea salt.  

Lemon Baked Fish with Thai Ginger Sea Salt

Dinner tonight was quick, simple, healthy and tasty!

Your choice of fillet of fish seasoned with the juice of one lemon, several pats of unsalted organic butter and topped with lemon rings.

Bake and put it atop sauteed vegetables.  We chose sauteed zucchini and mushrooms.  We finished it with a sprinkle of Thai ginger sea salt!

The lemon, butter and Thai ginger make this dish amazing!

Contributed by www.oldcitysalts.com