A Mediterranean Inspired Recipe

Dear Reader,

How are you feeling today?

The journey to wellness consists of small consistent steps.

One step you can take today is to eat a healthy meal.

The food you eat becomes the tissues of your body – feeding your body & tissues well is a foundational principle of The Rhythmic Lifestyle.

The Rhythmic Lifestyle is based on Ayurveda. According to Ayurveda, every person’s health situation is unique. As a practitioner, I’m trained to consult you in a way that honors this uniqueness.

My training taught me that as long as I apply the foundational principles of Ayurveda, any cuisine can fit in my health program.

Some of the best recipes I’ve created are based on the Mediterranean diet.

According to the “Blue Zones Kitchen” by National Geographic contributor and best selling author, Dan Buettner, people living on the Italian island of Sardinia are some of the top livers in the world. In terms of quality & length of life, these people are doing something right.

One of these things, Buettner tells us, is their diet.

I’ve been developing recipes based on authentic Italian cooking for years. Being gluten free for 8 years now, I’ve made some modifications, but I’ve kept the key principles because they align with my healing protocols.

Garlic and onions cooked in olive oil are an important part of Italian cooking. Both of these foods are prebiotics, and actually feed the good bacteria in your gut.

Feeding the good guys in your gut is a pillar of gut healing and of The Rhythmic Lifestyle.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is very good for you – not all fats are the enemy. (there are good fats, and bad fats – a topic for another post)

It’s important that you get extra virgin olive oil; this denotes that there has been no processing or heating of the oil – it’s simply been squeezed straight from the olives.

Mushrooms are OK for me now because I’ve already healed my gut. I don’t include them in the 1st thirty days of The Rhythmic Lifestyle protocol, but if you reintroduce them during the reintroduction phase, and they work for you, Bon Appetit! They are a powerhouse food. (we go over all this in my coaching)

If you’re unsure about where you sit with mushrooms right now, instead of the mushrooms, place 2 chicken breasts on a cooking tray and rub with olive oil, salt, pepper, 1/2 tablespoon each chopped basil and parsley, and 1 clove chopped garlic. Stick them in a 375 degree oven for 35 minutes or until a meat cooker says they’re done, and place this on top of your pasta dish.

I invite you to turn on some good music, assemble these ingredients, and have fun cooking!

RECIPE

Ingredients – Organic wherever possible

2 chicken breasts (optional)

2 Zucchini

1 Red Onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pack white mushrooms, washed and chopped. Make sure to pat them dry!

1 bag gluten free pasta

1 teaspoon black pepper

3 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon fresh chopped basil (dry works too) (1 teaspoon more if you’re doing chicken)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (optional)

Method

Begin cooking the pasta based on the directions on the bag.

Chop the onion into long strips, following its natural lines.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to a frying pan (Traditional Italian cooks prefer cast iron – I agree). Add the onions and cook on medium, stirring often.

20 minutes in, add 1 clove garlic and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook this for 10 minutes, stir frequently.

Meanwhile, chop zucchini into medallions.

After onions have been cooking a full 30 minutes (10 with the garlic, 20 without), add Zucchini to the pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt & basil. Stir in. Cook for 12 to 15 more minutes, until zucchini is soft.

In another cast iron frying pan (or whatever pan you have) add mushrooms, 1 clove chopped garlic, & the last tablespoon of oil. Add pepper. Don’t crowd the mushrooms in the pan. Heat the pan on medium.Flip mushrooms after a couple of minutes. Flip them every 5 minutes and cook them for 15 minutes.

Assemble pasta in bowls with a portion of the zucchini sauce and then top with mushrooms, and stir. Add the chicken if you’re using it, to the top.

Add fresh parsley if you’re feeling fancy.

Enjoy!

Let’s connect for a free consultation call about where you’re at with your health, and how to move forward in healing.

Email me at ablifestyleconsultant@ayeartoheal.com with the word consult, and I’ll write you back to set up a time for a 30 minute call.

Wishing you excellent health,

Amanda