Hi Everyone:

Danielle Moon here, Sherry’s daughter and VP of Holistic Blends. I’m so excited to have the opportunity to start blogging for you!

Don’t worry – Sherry will still be your regular writer, but I’ll be popping in once in a while to share recipes, ideas, and experiences with our products.

Before I get to my first recipe, I’ll tell you a little about me. I’m 36 years old, and I hold a bachelor’s in business administration. I love to read, play golf, go to the beach, and camp. My favorite place to be is next to a campfire reading a book. I have worked with my mom since 2006 in various roles throughout the years – at one point or another, I’m sure you and I have probably talked or emailed! Holistic Blends has been a part of my life since its inception, and I am so proud to be its VP and helping to provide you all with wellness products, and guidance on nutrition. I have a husband and two growing stepsons who ALL love to eat, eat, and eat some more!

So, if you’re a busy mom like me, or a dad in charge of dinner, I want you to know my recipes and thoughts I share here will be speaking your language: quick and simple (unless I’m feeling fancy on a weekend for Sunday dinner). It might just be different methods to cooking some basic things or could even serve as inspiration to something you’re already doing.

I’ll keep the recipes pretty consistent with Great Taste No Pain and Want to Lose Weight, Stop Dieting, but if I deviate a little, I will include a notation and/or suggestion to make it better. Most of my recipes will comfortably feed 4 people, unless otherwise noted.

So, without further ado, my first recipe is straight out of Want to Lose Weight, Stop Dieting for grilled salmon with cucumber sauce. A perfect summer meal that is so light and easy, but also incredibly healthy. My husband does a lot of fishing, so we are always well stocked with salmon, but getting wild caught from the store is perfect too!

Grilled Salmon with Cucumber Sauce

Category: Protein

Serves: 4

Cucumber Sauce:

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup plain yogurt (I’ve used Greek as well and it’s just as good!)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1 medium cucumber, seeded, peeled, and cubed finely (you can grate it instead if you’d prefer that consistency)

Grilled Salmon:

4 wild caught salmon filets

Fresh mint sprigs

Olive oil

Directions:

Place garlic, salt and pepper, and cumin in a mixing bowl; mash to a paste with the back of a spoon. Add yogurt and mint, then stir well. Stir in the cucumber and set the mixture aside.

Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat it to high. Oil your grate with a paper towel lightly soaked with olive oil held in tongs (or use lemon slices to place under the filets).

Lightly brush olive oil on both sides of filets, you can add a bit of salt and pepper to taste if you like here. Arrange the fish on the grate (on top of the lemon slices if you are doing that method), and cook about 2-3 minutes per side (or until desired doneness) - Do not overcook.

Spoon cucumber sauce over the fish, garnish with mint. Serve immediately.

Goes well with:

Roasted or grilled vegetable of your choice

Light green foods, like a Caesar salad

I hope you enjoy my first blog. For more meal choices like this one, take a look into Want to Lose Weight, Stop Dieting!

All my best,

Danielle Moon