Looking for an easy and healthy summer salad recipe? Then this just might be it!
This perfect mix of protein and veggies is low in carbohydrates and high in color and flavor.
Strawberries add a touch of sweet without tipping the sugar scale, chicken is high in energy sustaining protein, spinach is high in vitamins and fiber, while artichokes help to cleanse the liver. A salad really can’t get any healthier then this.
In a large bowl mix the spinach and sliced strawberries. Then add the chicken and quartered artichoke hearts. In a separate dish mix olive oil, lemon juice, fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Once mixed pour it all over your salad. Garnish with fresh mint!
If you have time it’s best if you bake the chicken yourself but if you don’t precooked chicken will do just fine. I like to bake chicken in a little water with lemon juice, butter, salt and pepper at 350 degrees for 35 – 45 minutes.
Did you know that non organic strawberries are heavily sprayed with pesticides? Now more then ever it is important to buy organic berries especially if you live in California. Methyl iodide which is arguably the most toxic and carcinogenic pesticide has recently been approved for use in California despite warnings from many scientists and environmental groups. Keep in mind that this chemical can not just be washed off, along with being sprayed onto fruit it is also injected right into the soil. This means that the pesticide is apart of your fruit.
Where can you buy pesticide free strawberries? You can usually purchase organically grown produce straight from the farmers at local (farmers) markets. Some grocery stores such as Whole Foods also sell local organic produce. You can ask the produce manager about their pesticide policies and what farms they get their produce from.
Although strawberries can be harvested year round in California it’s best to buy between the months of April – July when they will be at their peak.
With a vast drop in temperature, darker skies and rainy days, winter is the most yin of all the seasons. It is associated with the kidney and bladder organs, the color black, the element water, the emotion fear, and salty and bitter flavors.
Goji berries are one of the most well known Chinese herbs in the US. Used for over 2000 years in China, they were first mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, the oldest known book on Chinese herbs in 200 BC. They are prized for their ability to tonify blood and yin without causing stagnation. Consumed daily in China as a food and herbal medicine, goji berries are revered for their anti-aging properties. They are used in many beauty tonics.
