Healthy Fried Chicken – James Beuerlein, DC Student

The Recipe Book

Healthy fried chicken? Sounds like an oxymoron, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be. The things that make most fried chicken absolutely atrocious for your health include: the chicken itself, when it is factory farmed, full of antibiotics, hormones, and disease; the oil it’s fried in, which is usually hydrogenated canola oil, soybean oil, or something else heated way beyond its threshold; and the breading, made from  highly processed white flour that turns to sugar instantly inside your body. The good news is, you can do something about all three!

Here’s a recipe for HEALTHY FRIED CHICKEN, where the focus is on QUALITY:

• 2 ct. organic, free-range boneless chicken breasts cut into nuggets, strips, or whole
• ½ cup coconut flour
• 2-4 tbsp coconut oil
• Spices:
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp basil
• ½ tsp paprika
• Or make your own mix!
• Salt, ground pepper, cinnamon, lime juice (to taste)

Preparation: Melt the coconut oil in pan on medium heat (4-5 out of 10). Mix the dry coconut flour and spices (not the lime juice) in a bowl until uniformly mixed. Thaw, rinse, and cut the chicken breasts into desired form. Roll the chicken in spices until generously covered. Fry the chicken in a frying pan, flipping every few minutes, until cooked through and through. Note: You may need to add a bit more oil at some point while cooking, especially if not all of the chicken fits in the first batch. Just before removing from the pan, sprinkle lime juice over the chicken and stir. Serve with lots of veggies like steamed broccoli or asparagus.

If you want to spice it up, slice a fresh jalapeno pepper and throw it in the pan with the chicken pieces, letting it cook with them. Also, try experimenting with your own mix of spices. Just throw in whatever you like – it’s hard to go wrong here.

Here’s our “nutrition facts” for the meal. Free-range, organic chicken will be free of antibiotics, hormones, and other harmful additives. It’s a great source of healthy protein. The coconut oil is a healthy saturated fat that won’t go rancid when cooked at medium temperatures. The coconut flour is a great, gluten-free breading. The spices contain all sorts of antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and trace minerals, depending on what you use.

This is a great, simple meal to keep stocked at home, especially when you’re prone to craving Chik-fil-A!

Chocolate Banana Nut Smoothie – James Beuerlein, DC Studnet

From the Vital Source Recipe Book

By now you may have noticed my tendency towards sweets. It’s true, I’m a sucker for desserts. Fortunately, there are TONS of recipes out there for healthy treats – this one comes from Dr. Josh Axe’s Real Food Diet Cookbook. It’s fast, easy, filling, nutrient-rich, and fabulous!

1 c. unsweetened coconut or almond milk
1/3c cashew or almond butter
1 banana, peeled
2 tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder
2 ice cubes
Stevia to taste (perhaps not necessary)

Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Here’s what you’re getting in this naughty little indulgence: Coconut and almond are terrific sources of healthy fats. Almond butter is also a good source of proteins and L-arginine, which promotes the production of testosterone and HGH. Banana of course is rich in minerals like potassium as well as fiber. Cocoa powder is an awesome source of antioxidants. In fact, cocoa is one of the most antioxidant rich foods known. What you’re left with is a delicious, chocolatey shake that is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and almost sugar-free (banana.) Yum. Enjoy!

The Counter – James Beuerlein, DC Student

Burgers as big as your face – and just as hot!

If a delicious, guilt-free burger is what you’re after, look no further. My wife and I had our first “guilt-free burger encounter” recently while cashing in a Groupon we’d bought at The Counter restaurant in Roswell. We were blown away. If you have any reason to go through Roswell, this stop is an absolute must.

To begin with, the atmosphere was very cool. It wasn’t a ‘themed’ restaurant, but the vibe from all of the employees was chill, genuine, and a bit hipster. The Counter is set up very similarly to Yeah Burger, except that at The Counter you sit at a table and are served by a waiter, rather than standing in line for 20 minutes just to order, then fighting your way through a crowded mess-hall at Yeah Burger.

All The Counter’s  ingredients are fresh, local and sustainable. The beef is humanely raised and handled, and is hormone- and antibiotic-free. You can also opt for chicken, turkey or veggie burgers. They’re enormous: you can choose between 1/3 lb, 2/3 lb, and 1 lb patties. You then dress it up however you like with dozens of choices from standard to exotic toppings. According to their menu, there are over 312,000 possible combinations to choose from!

Aside from perfectly cooked burgers and awesome toppings, my favorite part about this place is the “Burger-in-a-Bowl” option. Essentially, you ditch the bun, and drop your heaping masterpiece atop a bowl of yummy greens! Man, this was good – a huge, wonderfully executed burger, piled with my own special cocktail of toppings, sitting on a bed of mixed greens! We felt not a twinge of regret as we stuffed our faces and stomachs with these awesome creations, knowing all the ingredients were fresh, local, and chemical-free.

The negatives: It’s out of the way and a bit pricey. On a minor note, their alcohol selection isn’t quite as good as Yeah Burger’s, but it’s actually quite decent. Even taking these cons into consideration, we plan to make the trip to The Counter at our next opportunity. Magnificent! Easily the best burger I’ve ever eaten.