roasted acorn squash, swiss chard + chickpea soup

Recipes, soup

Oct 22

Sometimes I make this soup and have it most of the week………It makes me feel so good! Feel free to add shredded chicken or shrimp for a protein boost!

2 C bone broth or chicken broth or stock
4 cloves garlic
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 T flour
1 can diced tomatoes
1 acorn squash, roasted and cut into cubes
1/8 C white wine
1 C corn, fresh or frozen
2 C swiss chard, chiffonade
3 C chickpeas, cooked or canned
1 t sea salt
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
1/4 t cayenne
4 T ghee or red palm fruit oil

Melt the ghee or red palm fruit oil in a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven and stir in the flour. Add the chopped onions and after 3-5 minutes, add the minced garlic and spices. Stir frequently until garlic is fragrant. Deglaze the pot with the white wine, then add chicken bone broth or stock, tomatoes, corn, chickpeas and acorn squash. Allow to simmer for 1-2 hours, then five minutes before serving stir in the swiss chard. If you choose to add meat or seafood, do so right at the end if it is cooked prior or in the last half hour if raw. Enjoy!

cashew chia pudding

Recipes, snacks

Jul 08

I most always have homemade cashew milk on hand, so this comes together quickly with only an hour or two needed to chill. Cashew milk takes just minutes to make, but you could also use coconut milk or any favorite milk you prefer. Just try it…..I promise you will love it!

1 quart of homemade cashew milk
1 vanilla bean pod
5 Medjool dates, pitted
1/8 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
2 T coconut manna
pinch of sea salt
1/2 C chia seeds
extra vanilla bean pod or extract if you prefer a stronger vanilla flavor.

In a blender, combine the cashew milk or fav milk of your choice, everything you can scrape out of the inside of a vanilla bean pod, the pitted dates, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut manna and sea salt.

Blend for about a minute or until all ingredients are completely incorporated into the milk. Pour into a large bowl and add the chia seeds. Give a good stir and let sit for ten mintes. Stir again, cover and chill for one to two hours.

sprouted spelt + chia banana muffins

Breads + muffins, Recipes

Jun 13

These are as nourishing as they are delicious! You can omit the chia seeds if you want, but I find their little subtle crunch irrestible. This recipe is from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, The Family Cooks by Laurie David.

4 bananas
1 pasture egg, beaten
1/4c melted refined coconut oil
1/2c honey……at the most. I usually use less
1 1/2c sprouted spelt flour
1t baking soda
1t ground cinnamon
1/2t fine salt
2-3T chia seeds, soaked.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your muffin tin with paper liners or oil it very well.
Mash the bananas to your preferred consistency, either chunky or very fine. My boys only go for the finely mashed.
Add the beaten egg and honey and stir to combine. Add the remaining ingredients making sure the melted coconut oil is last. I don’t like the warm oil to interact directly with the egg. Fill your muffin cups and bake for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes and watch them disappear!

chicken bone broth

Recipes

Jun 13

Such an incredible healing tonic that requires little effort. Be sure and include chicken feet. The easiest place to find them is your local farmer’s market. I finally found a recipe that included chicken feet from one of the cookbooks I love, The Nourished Kitchen. It wasn’t that easy until I remembered what I love most about Jennifer McGruther’s recipes and writing is that she is so traditional and super knowledgeable when it comes to how to obtain the most nourishment from whole foods. Her work is astounding!

3 carcasses from roasted chickens
4 chicken feet (cleaned…tough outer skin and talons removed)
3 carrots
3 stalks of celery
1 onion (quartered)
3 sprigs of thyme
5 sprigs of parsley
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup white wine
1 T peppercorns
4-6 quarts of water

Combine all of the ingredients in a large heavy bottomed stockpot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low and simmer 8-12 hours. Skim away any skum that may rise to the top. I allow mine to cool for a couple of hours, refrigerate it overnight and repeat the next day. Allow to cool and discard as many solids as possible and strain to remove and small bits. Pour into quart-sized mason jars and refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to six months.

seed + oat crispy bars

Recipes, snacks

Mar 05

2 C old-fashioned rolled oats
1.5 C brown rice crispy cereal
1.5 C raw sunflower seeds (toasted)_
1/4 C brown rice syrup
1/2 C grade B maple syrup
3 egg whites
1 C sprouted brown rice flour or oat flour
2/3 C peanut butter or sunflower seed butter
1/4 C coconut oil, melted
pinch of salt for the chocolate sauce
4 T coconut oil, melted
2 T grade B maple syrup
3 T powdered cacao

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and prepare a 9 X 9 baking pan with parchment paper to ensure easy removal from the pan when the bars have finished baking.

Combine the coconut oil, peanut or sunflower butter, brown rice syrup and maple syrup in a small pan and heat just until the ingredients have melted and are evenly blended. Let cool for a few minutes.

Combine the brown rice crispy cereal, toasted sunflower seeds, egg whites, flour and salt in a large bowl and stir until evenly incorporated.

Pour the melted oil, peanut or sunflower seed butter and syrup’s over the cereal mixture and stir until mixed. Spread the mixture evenly in the baking dish and press firmly down all over which will help the bars keep their shape when cooled. Bake until just barely golden, about 35-40 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut into bar shapes and carefully remove from baking dish with the help of the parchment paper. Wrap in wax paper and store in an airtight container or in the refrigerator, but most of all…Enjoy! xxo!!!

spicy bean soup

Recipes, soup

Feb 23

This soup is always a hit with everyone!

1.5 quarts homemade chicken broth
2 cans Eden Organic red beans
2 cans Eden Organic black beans
2 cans Eden Organic cannellini beans
1 jar diced fire roasted tomatoes
2 ears fresh corn
4 T chili powder
2 T cumin
1/8 t cayenne
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T chile in adobo
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 can of hatch chiles
2 T red palm fruit oil or whatever cooking oil you have on hand

to garnish….
cilantro
shredded cheese
sour cream
Cholula

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven and saute the onion until translucent. Making sure the heat isn’t too high, add in the garlic and stir for a couple of minutes. If the garlic burns it will become bitter, so I always lower my heat a bit and stir continously. Add in the spices and incorporate with the onion and garlic for another one to two minutes. Next, add in the broth, beans, tomatoes, chiles, jalapeno and corn. Bring to a simmer for thirty minutes or as long as you want and it is ready! If I have the time I will start mine the night before or as early in the day as possible and let it simmer away.

winter warmer

Dairy free, Gluten free, Recipes

Nov 20

This is an amazing alternative to oatmeal. And, it is gluten-free and crazy delicious! It’s a little bit of a process, but I promise it is really easy!

1/2 C sprouted quinoa
1/2 C amaranth
1/2 C buckwheat groats
1 1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t freshly grated nutmeg
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 T ghee
1/4 t sea salt
3 C cashew milk or milk of your choice
fresh berries and grade B maple syrup to serve

The night before, grind the buckwheat groats and quinoa in a spice grinder. Transfer the buckwheat flour to a mixing bowl and stir in the amaranth. Cover with three cups of water and the lemon juice. If your quinoa is not sprouted, add it in and increase the water to four cups. Cover and let stand for 10-12 hours.

Melt the ghee in a heavy bottomed pot and add the grated ginger. Allow it to warm on medium-low heat until fragrant. Rinse and drain the soaked ingredients. Once the ginger has cooked for three to four minutes, add in the buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa, as well as the cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, and cashew milk. Gently simmer and stir for about twelve minutes or until desired consistency. Garnish with a drizzle of maple syrup and sprinkled with berries. So yum!

energizing smoothie

Drinks + smoothies, Recipes

Sep 29

So far, the healthiest smoothie I have ever had or made!! Not only does it have a healthy dose of leafy green veggies, but also an abundance of health promoting polysaccharides found in the aloe, tumeric and cayenne. Don’t be discouraged by the long list of ingredients. This smoothie came about super fast one morning, knowing I wanted the beneficial compounds tumeric, cayenne and aloe provide. If you don’t have everything on hand, substitute for healthy items you do have. Toss everything into a blender with the liquid and lightest items in first and blend away. Be sure and take notice how amazing you feel after!

1/2 C George’s Aloe water. This one is flavorless and colorless.
1 C Coconut milk (substitute nut milk or cow’s milk if you prefer)
1 C water
1 frozen banana
1 stalk celery
3/4 cucumber, peeled
1/2 apple, cored and roughly chopped
2 leaves kale
1 handful of frozen strawberries
1 handful of frozen mango
2 C spinach
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/8 tsp cayenne

breakfast parfait

Breakfast, Gluten free, Recipes, snacks

Apr 22

This is so easy and fast to pull together even on super hectic mornings! My boys prefer Brown Cow full fat vanilla yogurt. I find adults prefer a non-fat or low-fat greek yogurt.

1 C yogurt, divided
1/2 C sliced, fresh strawberries
1/2 C fresh blueberries
1/2 C homemade granola
honey

Spoon 1/2 of the yogurt in the bottom of a small bowl or even better a short, wide weck glass jar. Layer strawberries and blueberries over the yogurt. Follow with the the rest of the yogurt, leaving a couple of tablespoons of yogurt for the finishing touch. Add the rest of the strawberries and blueberries….make it pretty! Then the rest of the yogurt and the homemade granola. Drizzle with a small amount of honey for a little extra sweetness if using unflavored yogurt. Bliss!

perfect green juice

Gluten free, Raw, Recipes, Vegan