MESA: Good for Your Health

MESA, A COLLABORATIVE KITCHEN is more than a dining adventure, it’s a great source for all your healthy cooking options.

≫ The Elderberry Co. featuring Elderberry Tea which combines the benefits of elderberries with the soothing benefits of a variety of natural ingredients including lemongrass, hibiscus, coriander seed, orange peel, ginger, cinnamon chips and chicory root. While elderberry syrup is a customer favorite, many are enjoying the Wellness Tea as a sugar-free alternative. This aromatic blend of berries, herbs and spices is the perfect way to soothe a sore throat or warm up on a cold day, all while boosting your immune system and keeping you healthy throughout the year.

≫ Healthy cooking and baking books to inspire healthy cooking. Enjoy a cup of tea at MESA while perusing our selection.

≫ Healthy/Wellness Dinners & Events featuring talented chefs from your favorite restaurants and businesses, including Peggy Garbe from Ready, Set, Prep’d Meals.

Peggy’s other recipes in this issue are available at the upper left corner of this page.

MESA Pro Recipe Tips:

Keys to a quality salad:

• Use fresh ingredients.
• Choose ingredients that pair well with each other.
• Make it aesthetically pleasing: If it looks pretty, you’re more apt to eat it, right?

Four basic parts of a salad:

• Base: lettuce or greens
• Body: main ingredients, such as additional vegetables
• Garnish: something that complements the other ingredients, such as cheese, nuts or some other “crunch” factor
• Dressing: for overall flavor profile

Make it a meal!

• Add protein.

Vinaigrettes can double as a marinade for proteins.

Clean out the fridge:

• Combine vegetables and ingredients with different textures to keep it interesting.

Shawarma Tips

• Shawarma is basically the Middle Eastern version of a burrito, so this makes for an easy wrap during the week as well.
• Greek yogurt makes  a healthier base for sauces than sour cream or mayo—especially if you use the nonfat variety.
• Pickled vegetables add quick punches of flavor without racking up the calories:
  
  • You can  pickle anything (just swap out the red onion for whatever you’d like), and I encourage you to do so. (Blueberries, Fresno chilies, carrot, or radishes are some of my favorites.)

General meal prep tips:

• Prioritize your prep by doing tasks that take the longest first—most of the waiting time is usually cooking (get it started and “forget about it”). It’s like a marathon: Start out slow and steady, and you want the home stretch to be fast and quick.
• Group similar tasks together to be efficient. For example, if two separate dishes require garlic, mince all your garlic at once. Or if you’re preparing chicken two ways (perhaps shredded and grilled), prep it all at once.
• Complete the task before moving on. For example, if your goal is to peel and chop a vegetable, peel ALL of that ingredient first, and then move on to chopping. Assembly lines are efficient for a reason.
• Just like you wouldn’t want to go in hungry or blind at the grocery store to gather your ingredients, you don’t want to try and Bird Box your prep either. Make a list, check it twice and then get to preppin’!

Learn more: https://www.mesachefs.com/