pita style 🇬🇷🥗
Welcome to those who were just scanning the web and serendipitously landed on my humble site 👋 whether you are in a rut and don’t know what to make; are in that loop of “sooo, what do you want to eat tonight?”; or have fallen into the infinite black hole of saved recipes from social media (the internet is truly ultimate purveyor of maximalist TL;DR content overwhelm 😵💫🫠🤭). I hope you enjoy — it brings me great joy to sprinkle any ease into your life — cheers to your good health, good love & good fortune!
And per my usual caveat, I do not claim to be a doctor or a chef. I do not dream of being a fancy food blogger. I’m just a gal who enjoys living and eating for optimum well-being. I like to creatively alter, and occasionally create, recipes to make them as balanced as possible, in both taste and health. I’ve come to learn soul-food and body-fueling food are both real and equally important, hence the critical importance and beauty of mind-body-soul eating! ✨ I typically like to begin with a key ingredient or two that I’m hoping to work with, search for a preexisting recipe as a guide, then play with measurements and make swaps to level up nutrient density. Consider this a destination for healthy recipe inspiration, where you’ll never have to scroll through any continuously re-populating ads. One of my primary goals is to add a little simplicity in places I’ve found murky.
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I’ve been listening to the “Father of Biohacking,” aka the founder of my favorite Bulletproof Coffee, Dave Asprey’s book, Smarter Not Harder and wow, ok…even as the health nut I am, I was shaken by some of the radical food consumption breakthroughs he shares. However, moving past my initial overwhelm, I am so inspired and have just concluded that I am likely going to need to give the entire book a second (or maybe even third) listen on Audible. For now, I’m only going to take what I can, just as I’d recommended to anyone. Small, sustainable changes make the most positive impact for most of us in the long term. The key is consistency, and we can only be consistent if we’re breathing and not overwhelmed.
One of the countless nuggets he divulges was on the danger of oxalates, a type of antinutrient. Unfortunately the oxalates can be as nutrient sucking as they sound, preventing us from absorbing the nutrient density of the foods we are consuming with the best of intentions - such as most plant based food. Biggest sigh. Though fear not, knowledge is power and there are plenty of ways to cut back on the hit we take from the oxalate thieves, aside from limiting our vital veggies! However, for the purposes of this recipe, I want to lean into one underrated, low oxalate star: organic iceberg lettuce. The simplicity of the lettuce gets a bad wrap for its lacking nutrient profile, but as it turns out, iceberg lettuce can provide us the refreshing raw veggie crunch we’re often seeking, while offering high water and fiber content, low calories and sodium, plus it’s cholesterol-free. And most pertinent to my original point - it contains the least amount of antinutrients in comparison to over lettuces…which I’m not going to deep dive into right now, but in short, most contain varying levels of oxalates and should be mindfully prepped and consumed accordingly.
So without further ado, I recently made an iteration of the “Halal Cart Chicken Salad” via the classic go to fave, Bon Appétit:
INGREDIENTS
1/4 c organic EVOO
1/2 tsp organic dried oregano
1/2 tsp organic ground coriander
1/2 tsp organic ground cumin
1/2 tsp organic ground turmeric
3 organic garlic cloves, finely grated, divided
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice, divided
2 c organic, free range shredded rotisserie chicken*
1 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1 c plain whole-milk yogurt
1/4 c mayonnaise
Freshly ground pepper
1 small organic red onion, thinly sliced
1 c halved organic cherry tomatoes
1 head of organic iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 c salted pita chips
* …and if you run into the same issue I often do being unable to find “organic, free range rotisserie chicken,” just swap for organic, free range chicken breast, quickly poach for 10-12 minutes in filtered, salted water and shred 😉
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325° F and boil a pot of water on the stove.
2. Heat butter and a splash of olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. As soon as the butter has melted, add Aleppo-style pepper and remove from the heat.
3. Parboil potatoes for 5 minutes, then strain in colander.
4. Prepare the baking sheet:
— 4a. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
— 4b. Season fish with salt and black pepper on both sides and place on baking sheet.
— 4c. Trim half of asparagus and scatter round fish on baking sheet.
— 4d. Scatter parboiled potatoes on baking sheet, then season the veggies and potatoes with a little salt and black pepper.
— 4e. Pour butter mixture over fish, veggies and potatoes. Give the veggies and potatoes a toss to coat evenly.
— 4f. Roast, undisturbed, until the fish is opaque in the center and asparagus is bright green and tender, approximately 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillets.
5. Prepare the fish topping:
— 5a. Thinly slice the remaining half of the asparagus into tiny “coins” and place in a medium bowl.
— 5b. Chop chives and basil, smash and de-pit olives.
— 5c. Combine asparagus, chives, basil, rosemary sprig, olives, and oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat and season with salt and pepper. Stirring occasionally until fish is ready to come out of oven.
6. Transfer fish to a platter and place potatoes and asparagus alongside. Remove rosemary sprig from olive mixture and then pour it over the fish - serve and enjoy!
CLICK PHOTO ON FAR RIGHT TO SEE ADDITIONAL IMAGES >
As with everything I make, I love to know the ingredients will fuel not only a beautiful plate, but a beautiful feeling inside. I will again caveat, I’m not a nutritionist, but as holistic health coach, here’s some functional food for thought:
ORGANIC FREE RANGE CHICKEN
Similar to buying organic produce, it’s critical to seek out organic free range chicken and eggs. Similar to whole organic grass-fed beef, there’s a major pay off on the nutrient and taste front, as well as on the ethics side — and if we have to realize that the ethics, such as filthy living conditions, cross right over into the quality of our food (and health!). Don’t skim on quality, if anything skim on quantity.
This brings me to my next point on the importance of quality animal protein. As I primarily plant based eater, I personally find it challenging to eat enough high quality animal protein. I can pile on the nuts, beans, tofu and seeds, but I can tell that when my energy level is down at certain moments, it’s typically pointing back to my body’s need for a little more protein. My recommendation is that as long as you’re open to it, give yourself the challenge of making a fun new meat dish once or even twice a week. It really ups the kitchen game and also gives a boost to energy, as well as mood and immunity!
PINK HIMALAYAN SALT
Since pink Himalayan salt is less processed than table salt, your body has an easier time processing it, as it doesn’t require as much water to clear out the excess sodium! It also contains more than 80 minerals and elements, including potassium, iron, calcium and (naturally occurring) iodine, aiding our body’s natural detoxification process and promoting the removal of bacteria. This can even help lower blood pressure, as iodine supports our body’s electrolyte balance, allowing our intestines to absorb more nutrients.
***important to note, quality is essential — always shop organic, whole, preferably in season, ideally know where your food is coming from and thoroughly wash those fruits + veggies!
