Salmon with Herbed Mustard Sauce

A natural affinity exists between salmon and mustard. In this sauce, fresh lemon juice and herbs temper the heat of the mustard, but its flavor remains strong enough to stand up to the salmon. The recipe calls for broiling the fish. If, like Dr. Andrew Weil, you prefer to grill when possible, heat a grill to medium, season the salmon as in step 2, place it skin-side down on the grill, and cook, covered, for 8 to 9 minutes.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 salmon fillets , about 6 ounces each
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. Heat broiler with rack 4 inches from the heat.
2. Rinse salmon and pat dry with paper towels. Place salmon on a broiler pan and drizzle 2 tablespoons of lemon juice over the top. Season with salt and pepper. Broil until salmon is just cooked but still moist, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove the salmon's skin.
3. Meanwhile in a medium bowl, stir together the mustard, remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, oil, dill, and basil. Spoon the sauce over the salmon and serve immediately.

From Body+Soul, October 2006

Spinach Salad with Pomegranate and Avocado

The sunflower seeds and spinach in this salad are top-notch sources of magnesium, which enables your body to create dopamine. The avocado's vitamin B6 produces serotonin, a calming neurotransmitter.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 pomegranate
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 bunches flat leaf spinach, stems trimmed, well washed and dried
• 2 tablespoons roasted, hulled sunflower seeds
• 1 Hass avocado

Directions

1. Halve pomegranate lengthwise and seed. Working in a bowl of cold water, use your hands to separate seeds from membrane. Membrane will float to the top; discard. Scoop out pomegranate seeds and pat dry.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons lemon juice, mustard, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss spinach, sunflower seeds, and pomegranate seeds with dressing in bowl. Transfer to a serving platter.
3. Halve avocado and remove pit. Scoop out flesh and thinly slice lengthwise; drizzle with remaining lemon juice. Transfer to plate and arrange salad on top. Serve immediately.

Roma Tomato Salad with Feta and Garlic (Benefits of Garlic)

Garlic has been used as both food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years, dating back to when the Egyptian pyramids were built. In early 18^th -century France, gravediggers drank a concoction of crushed garlic in wine they believed would protect them from the plague that killed many people in Europe. More recently, during both World Wars I and II, soldiers were given garlic to prevent gangrene. Today garlic is used to help prevent heart disease, including atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries that can block the flow of blood and possibly lead to heart attack or stroke), high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and to improve the immune system. Garlic may also protect against cancer.

While the science is not conclusive, research shows promise for garlic in the areas of cancer protection and heart-related risk factors for patients.

Garlic is rich in antioxidants, which help destroy free radicals -- particles that can damage cell membranes, interact with genetic material, and possibly contribute to the aging process as well as the development of a number of conditions, including heart disease and cancer. Free radicals occur naturally in the body, but environmental toxins (including ultraviolet light, radiation, cigarette smoke, and air pollution) can also increase the number of these damaging particles. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause over time.

Ingredients

4 servings

• 6 roma (plum) tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
• 1 to 3 garlic, peeled and minced (or sliced)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 ounces tomato-basil feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. In a large bowl, toss together tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and feta cheese. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before serving.

From Body&Soul

Chocolate Anti-aging Face Mask

Healthy Skin is So Sweet

Chocolate is one of beauty's tastiest secrets.
by Michelle Gibeault Traub, R.D.

Chocolate's antioxidants are powerful in fighting the environmental stressors that impact the skin and lead to aging. By eating foods that are rich in flavanoids, you arm your skin with natural defenses that help to maintain collagen and reduce sun damage.¹ A small German study even showed that subjects given a high flavanol cocoa product had improved skin texture, along with increased skin density, thickness, and hydration.² Eating chocolate works its magic from the inside out, but applying it to the skin appears to be beneficial too.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of Cocoa
2 Tablespoons of Plain Yogurt
1 Tablespoon of Honey
3 Tablespoons of Oatmeal Powder

Mix all the ingredients and apply on the face, gently massaging it so that the oatmeal can start exfoliating the dead skin cell layer, leave mask on for about 20 minutes and rinse off with luke warm water.

TIP: you've heard the adage "Never cook with wine you wouldn't drink." This holds equally true for home spa remedies. Never use ingredients for your home spa treatments that you wouldn't want to eat. Your skin, the largest organ on your body, breathes and is porous. It will absorb the properties of the ingredients you are using. Don't "clean out the fridge or pantry" to create your home skincare remedies. Use fresh, high quality ingredients for the best results, and do not store the treatment longer than the shelf life of the most perishable ingredient.

DIY Facial

Rare is the occasion when your skin doesn't appreciate a little extra attention. The time is always right for a soothing and moisturizing facial. An at-home treatment designed by a leading holistic skin-care expert offers the perfect recipe for a healthy glow -- and inner calm. "Working with fresh, lush ingredients is, in itself, therapeutic," explains Susan West Kurz, author of "Awakening Beauty the Dr. Hauschka Way." "The tactile pleasure of creating treatments in your own kitchen is a wonderful antidote to stress." Read on for her favorite fix.

What You'll Need
Organic lavender essential oil
Cotton washcloth (use organic cotton when possible)
Organic almond butter
Skin toner (try Avalon Organics' Lavender Hydrating Toner or Dr. Hauschka's Facial Toner)
Choose one: honey, organic strawberry yogurt, or organic avocado

Facial How-To
1. Pre-cleanse.
After thoroughly removing any makeup and rinsing your face, fill a sink with warm water. Add two to three drops of lavender oil and stir with your hand. Soak the washcloth in the lavender water, then wring it out and gently press it against your face and neck for 30 seconds.

2. Cleanse.
Put one teaspoon of almond butter and a few drops of lavender water in your palm; rub your hands together to create a paste. Apply to skin using a "press and roll" method, which helps remove dead cells, dirt, and oil: Press your palms against your forehead and roll them outward. Moving down your face and neck, continue the motion until you reach your collarbones. Return to massaging your forehead, and repeat the process for one to three minutes.

3. Rinse and Tone.
Use another washcloth soaked in lavender water to remove the almond cleansing cream from your face. Rinse with cool water and apply toner.

4. Apply a mask.
Choose one of the following masks, depending on your skin's needs:

- To Moisturize Dry Skin
Half of a mashed organic avocado

- To Brighten Dull Complexions
Organic strawberry yogurt

- To Rid Pores of Impurities
Honey

Apply a thin layer to your face and relax for 20 minutes. Then remove the mask with a warm, wet cloth, and rinse with warm water. Pat dry with a clean towel.

Text by Abbie Kozolchyk

Cucumber Cups - Super easy and Super Healthy

Hors d'oeuvres needn't be complicated. This refreshing appetizer, for example, doesn't require any cooking: Cucumbers are simply washed, cut, and hollowed out, then filled with low-fat cottage cheese and topped with clover sprouts.

Ingredients

Makes 48

• 2 seedless cucumbers (each 9 1/2 inches long), washed
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• FOR THE GARNISH
• Clover sprouts

Directions

1. Slice cucumbers in half lengthwise; trim ends. Cut each half into 3/4-inch pieces.
2. Scoop out the center of each piece of cucumber with a melon baller, and fill with about 1/2 teaspoon cottage cheese. Garnish with clover sprouts, and serve.

A Healthy Snack Recipe

A combination of yogurt, papaya, blackberries, raspberries, mint and granola, this snack (or dessert) only has 164 calories and 1 gram of fat.