Catalyz Nutrition

Big brand supermarket peanut butters are often loaded with unhealthy trans fats or unstable vegetable oils, sugar or corn syrup, preservatives, and flavor enhancers.    A recent salmonella outbreak was traced to one of the largest manufacturers of peanuts in the U.S.   Many peanuts harbor a mold associated with liver cancer and stunted growth - aflatoxins. 

On the other hand, health food peanut butters (made from nothing but nuts) fall flat in the taste department, and are often unappealing to kids raised on Skippy.    The aflatoxin mold content of peanuts awating "grinding" in bins at the health food store increases, making fresh ground nuts less appetizing.

But peanut butter is a wonderful and familiar snack.  We eat lots at our house, usually on banana or apple slices, or eaten right off of a spoon when cravings for worse snacks (ice cream?) strike.   For a treat, we make our own "Reeces" by topping a serving of peanut butter with a few chocolate chips.

What to do?  For starters, buy organic peanut butter made from Valencia peanuts.    These are grown in arid climates and are significantly less susceptible to developing afloxins.

Secondly, dress up your peanut butter with a small amount of healthy sweeteners and salt.    Here is our favorite recipe:

1 16-oz jar of Arrowhead Mills Organic Valencia Peanut Butter (can be bought online or in health food stores -- try  http://www.vitacost.com/Arrowhead-Mills-Organic-Creamy-Valencia-Peanut-Butter .  I believe Trader Joes also sells its own brand of organic valencia peanut butter)
1.5 Tablespoons honey (raw is healthiest for enzymes/ nutrients, but regular will do)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon stevia powder (if you don't have stevia, just double or triple the honey)

Put all ingredients in a bowl.   Put in a warm place for a couple of hours or until softened (a counter in the summer or an oven with just light bulb on works).   Then stir thoroughly to blend.    Scoop back into the original peanut butter jar, then tuck in the refrigerator.   Polyunsaturated fats in peanuts can easily go rancid, so always store peanut butter in the refigerator.      

If you find you like this recipe, buy 6 jars of peanut butter at a time and make a big batch that will last you a couple months, to save time and effort.

Wild salmon beats out tunafish on the nutrition front -- has more healthy omega-3 fats, vitamin A & D, and less mercury.    This salad can be served on lettuce just like tunafish salad.   It's an easy thing to grab for a nourishing, quick meal once you've got a batch made.    And is very economical compared to most fish meals!

Ingredients to make enough salmon salad for two servings:

Can of wild-caught Alaskan salmon, 7.5 oz.  (cleaner and healthier than Atlantic or farmed salmon)
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
4 Tablespoons drained capers
Small piece of raw onion (about the size of 1-2 big cloves of garlic)
Salt, pepper, and healthy mayonnaise - to taste!

Drain salmon from can, put into mixing bowl.   Add finely chopped celery and capers.    Either chop small piece of onion VERY finely -- or better yet (lazy method!) -- put small onion piece in a hand-held garlic press and squeeze onion juices into bowl.     Take a fork and blend.    Add enough mayo, salt, and pepper to suit your tastes.    Serve salad (cold) on lettuce with a squirt of fresh lemon juice.

Note:  try to avoid mayonnaises made from unhealthy vegetable oils.   The healthiest mayonaises are made from expeller-pressed olive oil, sesame oil, or coconut oil.   These aren't usually available in standard grocery stores, but can often be found at stores like Whole Foods or online.  

If you are adventurous, it is not hard to make your own mayonnaise -- see an excellent recipe at http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2009/06/homemade-mayonnaise-recipe-that-tastes-great-finally.html.   (Note:  you can skip the whey in this recipe, but then you must finish it in a week or less - the whey acts as a preservative that makes the mayo last a month or two...)    If that sounds like too much work, check out Whole Foods or your local health food store -- or here's a very healthy and nourishing mayo available that can be purchased online:   http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/mayo.htm

Need a great, healthy fruit topping for ice cream, yogurt, or pancakes?  Press some freshly picked or purchased berries into action....and avoid the high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colorings, and other additives found in commercial toppings.

My grandmother taught me this simple recipe.   It has a decidedly old-fashioned taste.   After fielding compliments, you'll surely have to pass it along to friends.

4 cups of fresh berries (blueberries, blackberies, rasperries, or other -- frozen will do, if it is winter!)
6 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespooons of honey (or of brown sugar, if you'd like to be somewhat more decadent)

Put all ingredients in a saucepan, and stir until they melt into a sauce.   Heat until hot, then serve or put in refridgerator to store (it lasts a couple of weeks in the refrigerator).     Especially if you use healthy butter -- organic or pastured is best -- this makes for a nourishing sweet sauce, compared to many other topping options.

For some reason, I find this recipe often "turns on" salad-resistent KIDS to salad!  (Maybe not on the first try, but if you persist on several occasions...)

It takes only a minute or two to whip this up, then toss with your salad in a big serving bowl.    Don't be tempted to use this a dressing that individuals pour on their salads individually at the table -  it makes all the taste/ texture difference to toss your salad with this dressing 5 or 10 minutes before you sit down to eat.  

If you have leftover salad with dressing on it -- know that it will generally keep overnight in your refrigerator (but eat it no later than lunch the next day or it will wilt too much).

For each serving of salad dressing, simply whisk the following thoroughly (takes about 30 seconds) in a small cup with a fork until the vinegar and oil no longer separate:

1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (buy cold pressed or expeller-pressed if you can)
1/4 teaspoon of salt (less if you typically like things less salty)

Toss with your salad in a big serving bowl -- and enjoy!  (Note that for a creamier variation on this dressing, you can simply add a tablespoon of sour cream...very yummy!)

This recipe makes a wonderful, fast breakfast for kids and adults alike.    (Or an alternative to ice cream at 9 p.m. when you're craving something sweet!)

The trick to this great recipe lies in the blend of whole milk and yogurt (or kefir).    Fruit smoothies made with all milk tend to taste bland -- and if made with all yogurt, tend to need too much sugar/ sweetener to overcome the tartness.

Keep a bag of frozen berries, bananas, apples, or other fruits in the freezer in your kitchen if you like this recipe.   Frozen fruit serves to thicken the final smoothie to a milkshake consistency.    We buy frozen organic bags of fruit from BJs -- but also freeze our own.   (The is a great use for overripe bananas -- simply peel, slice into 5-7 chunks, and toss in a plastic bag in your freezer.)

Avoid protein powders and other smoothie powders -- they're often made with soy and/or dry milk powders, which have a number of problems, especially when fed to children.

For each serving, blend the following in a blender (or a mini-blender, such as the Magic Bullet):

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup whole plain yogurt (or kefir -- either provides nourishing probiotic cultures)
• 1 Tablespoon honey (or 1.5 teaspoons honey plus 1/3 teaspoon stevia powder)
• Any type of single frozen fruit you like, such as bananas or apples or strawberries -- or try a blend!

Enjoy!