Written by Layne Lieberman, RD, Author of Beyond The Mediterranean Diet: European Secrets Of The Super-Healthy

Zeal is the new Boulder place to eat with an easy conscience. It’s the kind of food you would only dream about cooking at home–healthy, wholesome, tasty without trade-offs! All of the preparation and cooking is done out in the open. Cold-pressed juice and kombucha are on tap and micro-greens are growing at the entry. The ingredients are organic unless noted and locally sourced in season. Meats are grass fed and pastured. The restaurant’s blackboard lists the farmers who provide the produce, meat, eggs and seafood. 

My starter was the Massaged Kale salad with crispy quinoa, pomegranate and chili lime pepitas with beet ginger dressing. My main entree was a “Hot Plate” of the Seared Cauliflower Chop with braised legumes and sautéed greens with blood orange preserves. My husband chose the Thai salad with cilantro, broccoli, shitake, mango, kelp noodles and napa with sweet chili carrot ginger dressing. His main entree was a “Build Your Own” of rice noodles, tempeh and lots of fresh veggies with chic pea miso. Everything was delicious and the service was surprisingly good considering that the restaurant recently opened. The two desserts were divine. The Spiced Poached Pear with red wine syrup, seasonal spices and whipped cream was satisfying and not overly sweet–thank you chef! The Spiced Apple Cake with preserves was a perfect ending to the meal. It tasted like the type of cake you would bake for your family–and not too oily.

The food preparations perfectly balance creativity with health consciousness. Chef Arik Marcus knows that food does not need to be over salted or dripping with sauce to satisfy. (We did order our salad dressings “on the side.”) Flavorful ingredients, balance of texture and subtle use of spices create harmony on the palette. It’s the kind of place you can enjoy anytime of the day and feel good about it. I hear that breakfast is a “must try”!

BOOK SIGNING with Culinary Nutritionist and Author, Layne Lieberman, RD

Saturday, February 1st

Heart Healthy Food Demo/Talk and Book Signing of Beyond the Mediterranean Diet: European Secrets of the Super-Healthy by Layne Lieberman, RD

1:00 to 3:00pm

Alfalfa’s Demo Kitchen, 1651 Broadway Street
Boulder, CO 80302
720.420.8400
info@alfalfas.com

We are proud to welcome internationally recognized and award-winning culinary nutritionist, Layne Lieberman, RD — author of the newly released book Beyond The Mediterranean Diet.  In honor of February American Heart Month, Layne will share dishes from her new book as well as her top ten tips for a heart healthy lifestyle. Stop by for a taste and a signed copy of Layne’s book.  Find more info on Layne and her book  here: ABOUT: BEYOND THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET

• 1-Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1-pound Sea Scallops 

Make sure the scallops are dry and bring to room temperature right before cooking. Season scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add scallops, and depending on size, cook for about 2 1/2 -3 minutes per side, until cooked through. Don’t overcook!

Serve with steamed Swiss chard, black quinoa and mango chutney.

Per serving: 130 calories, 4.4 g fat, 19 g protein, high in magnesium, phosphorus, selenium and vitamin B12.

There is an endless outpouring of love for Alfalfa’s Market, on the corner of Broadway and Arapahoe, in Boulder, Colorado…. And they certainly know how to give it back!

Here’s why… Alfalfa’s exists to serve, educate and inspire the community through tireless support of local, organic and innovative foods, tried and true wellness products and gastronomic culinary creations. And, Alfalfa’s always uses the highest quality ingredients throughout its departments and in its prepared foods. With so many mislabeled foods finding their way to our dinner tables, and deceptive advertising misleading the public about what we are putting in our bodies, one can rest assured that Alfalfa’s Market is on your side to reverse these trends.

The market has a long-standing history in our Boulder community. Founded in 1979 by Mark Retzloff and Hass Hassan, Alfalfa’s Market grew to be one of the nation’s leading natural foods retailers throughout the 80’s and 90’s. In 1996, Alfalfa’s Markets merged with Wild Oats Markets, which was in turn sold to Whole Foods.  The Federal Trade Commission required Whole Foods to divest the Boulder store as part of this acquisition and Mark Retzloff, an original Alfalfa’s founder, along with Barney Feinblum, Jimmy Searcy and Hugo van Seenus jumped at the chance to resurrect the Alfalfa’s name and culture. With its re-opening last year, Alfalfa’s has come full circle as a Boulder-owned and operated natural foods market.

True to its roots, Alfalfa’s is the epitome of a local natural food market, steeped in values focused on quality food, great service and a warm sense of community… the fireplace in the dining room is the coziest spot in town.

Alfalfa’s rigorous criteria used to select items to be sold in the store and used in its prepared foods is an example of how serious Alfalfa’s is about maintaining its mission and core beliefs. There are standards for all ingredients, products, wine, beer and spirits. No bending of rules… it goes like this:

• Alfalfa’s supports Organic
• Alfalfa’s serves with Passion
• Alfalfa’s behaves Ethically
• Alfalfa’s supports Community and Environment
• Alfalfa’s grows Profitably (to provide jobs, increase satisfaction and give back to the community)
• Alfalfa’s embraces Change (yet keeping true to its roots)

            Every visit to Alfalfa’s is a magical food journey. I always find something new and exciting, perhaps a local kombucha, a garlic-free sweet potato hummus, or the best scallops on earth. Today, a kind employee from the produce department escorted me to the bulk area where I could grind my own fresh and organic peanut butter, yummy!

            Thank you Alfalfa’s… you make my day.

For a visit to the website, click here: www.Alfalfas.com

Layne’s Simply Seared Sea Scallops (from Alfalfa’s Market) Serves 4

• 1-Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1-pound Sea Scallops

Make sure the scallops are dry and bring to room temperature right before cooking. Season scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add scallops, and depending on size, cook for about 2 1/2 -3 minutes per side, until cooked through. Don’t overcook!

Serve with steamed Swiss chard, black quinoa and mango chutney.

Per serving: 130 calories, 4.4 g fat, 19 g protein, high in magnesium, phosphorus, selenium and vitamin B12.

First off, here is a simple definition of GMO, also known as genetically modified organism: An organism whose genetic material has been altered in the laboratory when a gene from one species is transferred to another species. These species include micro-organisms like bacteria or yeast, or larger organisms like fruits, vegetables, fish and animals. Health consequences, environmental impacts and other safety concerns are largely debated. Here are a two ways to avoid buying GMO foods…

Have you noticed the annoying stickers that seem to be on every piece of produce you buy in the supermarket? It is called a PLU sticker and stands for Price Look-Up.  The bar code on the sticker is used at the check out counter to scan the item for a price check. The sticker also has a 4 or 5-digit code that proves useful for the consumer. It tells us if the item is genetically modified. Read it before you eat it. Here is how to fully decipher the code:

• Conventionally grown, non-GMO produce, has a 4-digit code.
• Organically grown produce has a 5-digit code, beginning with the number 9.  The good news is that if it is organically grown, it’s automatically non-GMO.
• Genetically modified, conventional produce has a 5-digit code, beginning with the number 8.

For packaged goods, look for the 3d party certification label, verifying that the product is indeed non-GMO.