Serves 2 to 4

2 large or (4 small) lamb shanks
1 cup dry red wine, like a Rhone, Bordeaux, Burgundy
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons of Celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons of fresh chopped rosemary
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
16 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 medium onions, each onion cut into 4 equal-sized wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the marinade:
Place red wine, mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary in a medium-sized stainless steel mixing bowl.  Whisk together well. Set aside.

To cook shanks:
Warm olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add lamb shanks and brown on all sides.  Once browned, transfer lamb shanks to the slow cooker. Arrange onion wedges around the shanks.

Warm the residual olive oil and lamb fat in the skillet (in which the lamb shanks were just browned) over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and mushrooms and saute apx. 5 minutes, or until softened. Spoon carrot-onion mixture over the shanks.

To the same skillet, add the red wine marinade and deglaze, scraping up bits of meat and vegetables sticking to the bottom of the pan. Pour marinade over the shanks.

Set the slow cooker at high for apx. 2 hours.  Then, reduce to “low” for another 2-3 hours. Check lamb shank after 4 hours to see how it’s doing.

To check for doneness, insert a knife into the shanks. When it goes in and out easily and there is absolutely no resistance, the lamb shanks are done. The shank bone will also be showing when done.

They’re an efficient way to eat your vegetables and fruit at one time. Whenever I have a savory all-green smoothie (the only fruit in it is lime) for breakfast, I add 5 packed cups of leafy greens to it. This starts my day off with a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals and fiber. By combining fiber + protein + healthy fat (like flaxseed, coconut oil, coconut milk or avocado), a smoothie can be very effective in stabilizing blood sugar.

Also, by blending ingredients together, you are, in effect, “pre-digesting” the food going into your body. In other words, your body doesn’t have to work as hard to break food down for digestion; this makes it easier for your body to assimilate nutrients.

So, why bother making your own smoothie when you can pick one up at, say, Jamba Juice? Making your own smoothie in a Nutribullet or a high-powered blender gives you control over what goes into it. If you buy a Jamba Juice-type smoothie, you’re really getting more of a dessert smoothie than a nutrient-dense meal. With all-tropical fruit smoothies, containing, for example, banana, mango and/or pineapple—and, sometimes, frozen yogurt or added fruit juice—you can quickly ratchet up the calories, the carbs and the sugar.

A homemade, gently sweetened smoothie, on the other hand, can help your palate adapt to a less sugary taste, curbing sugar cravings over time.

This is one of my favorite “cleanser” smoothies from my clean eating cleanse program—great for digestion and refreshing without spiking blood sugar.

Summer “Cleanser” Smoothie

1 ½ cups water OR coconut water OR dairy-free milk
*If you use coconut water, make sure it 100% coconut water with no added sugar or other ingredients
1 to 2 cups mixed greens
1/2 cup berries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Dash cinnamon
Juice from one lemon

Combine all ingredients together in a Nutribullet or blender.

Enjoy!

I think of it as the perfect anti-aging food.

Not yet familiar with the many merits of drinking bone broth? It’s an Old World superfood—many cultures have their own version of it. You can benefit from drinking bone broth because:

♦  It’s chockfull of hard-to-get minerals, like calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium, your body can easily absorb.

♦  It’s rich in amino acids, such as glycine and proline, beneficial for post-workout recovery.

♦  It contains chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine; two popular dietary supplements taken for relief of joint pain, inflammation and osteoarthritis.

♦  It’s enriched with gelatin, a protein derived from the collagen in animal bones and connective tissue. Gelatin is a nutrient that can help heal a leaky gut (intestinal permeability) that manifests as diarrhea, constipation or food sensitivities.

♦ Human skin is also made of collagen. Regular consumption of gelatin-rich bone broth helps build connective tissue. Translation: smoother, younger-looking skin, less wrinkles and less cellulite.

♦  Athletes, whether recreational or serious, will benefit from regular consumption of bone broth as I describe here in my womensmovement.com article.

As for beef bone marrow….it’s pure hedonistic pleasure. I’m hooked on its fatty, creamy, unctuous texture. In my opinion, it’s absolutely luscious   Yes, bone marrow is mostly fat, but it’s also a nutrient dense food: a little goes a long way.  Besides you don’t have to be leery of saturated fat from quality sources.  If you missed the buzz earlier this summer…here’s the skinny on saturated fats.

The marrow is prized in the cuisines of France, Italy, Korea and the Philippines. For example, osso bucco, Italian for “bone with a hole”, is a classic Milanese dish where veal shank, browned and slow-cooked until falling-off-the-bone tender, is served with gremolata and risotto Milanese. Bone marrow gives osso bucco its rich flavor, and the best part of eating osso bucco is scooping out the marrow from the bone with a long handled demitasse (baby) spoon.

I must emphasize that it is important to only use bone marrow from GRASS-FED beef marrow bones. What ends up in the bodies of factory-farmed or conventionally raised animals—regularly fed antibiotics, growth hormones, GMO soy and corn, and raised in filthy, crowded conditions—ends up in your body too. So, be mindful of using grass-fed animal sources.

That said, bone broth is an economical healing food. I recently befriended an upstate New York farmer at a nearby farmers’ market who supplies me with 100% grass-fed beef marrow bones for just $2.50 / pound.

You can, of course, follow this grass-fed beef bone broth recipe and just savor the bone broth.  If you’re game, however, blend it with the marrow; this “beef shake” is rich, creamy and deliciously satisfying.

Try it…and let me know what you think.

Beef bone broth + roasted bone marrow = beef shake

Beef Shake

Yield: Fills apx. 4 Ball mason jars

3 pounds grass-fed beef marrow bones
1 pound grass-fed beef shank
4-6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3-4 quarts filtered water
Celtic sea salt, to taste (after broth is finished cooking)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse off beef marrow bones and beef shank. Pat dry with paper towel. Arrange bones and beef shank in a glass baking dish (like Pyrex) and place on center rack.

Roast about 40 minutes.

Remove the beef from the shank bone and cut into small cubes. Set aside.

Use a small paring knife to gently loosen the marrow from the shank bone and other beef marrow bones. Scrape out marrow and set aside.

Place all of the roasted bones in a 6.5 quart slow cooker or the largest stockpot you have. Add 3 to 4 quarts filtered water (water should cover bones completely). Add the apple cider vinegar to draw the minerals out of the bones. Cover.

In a slow cooker—or on the stovetop—bring water to a boil. Skim off any impurities. Reduce heat to a low setting on the slow cooker. Add the roasted bone marrow and cubed beef. Simmer bone broth another 24 to 48 hours.

When done, let broth cool. Remove bones. Scrape off any residual meat or fat off the bones (the bones should be bare).

With a strainer spoon, remove the meat from the broth and place meat bits in a strainer over a glass (or other non-reactive) bowl. Pour any residual broth back into the crockpot. Leave the marrow and any other bits of fat in the crockpot.

Ladle broth (with marrow) into a blender (ideally, a glass jar blender). Fill about half-way. Add a pinch or two of Celtic sea salt. Blend until the marrow and bone broth are well combined: when it is, it will look white, creamy and frothy—just like a shake.

Pour into a mug, season to taste with Celtic sea salt and drink immediately.

Refrigerate or freeze: beef shake in Ball mason jars.

Or…to store in fridge or freezer:

Pour beef shake into Ball mason jars, leaving about 2 inches headspace. Avoid filling to the very top because the broth will expand.

Once all the jars are filled, evenly distribute the cooked beef bits among all the jars (should be 3-4)—just place on top.

When cool, refrigerate or freeze.