Healing Squash & Sweet Potato Soup

What could be better in the cold winter months than the rich, flavorful goodness of butternut squash and sweet potato? Even better when they are paired together in what will soon become a new favorite!

Ingredients:

1.5 c cubed butternut squash (fresh or frozen)

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 granny smith apple, peeled and chopped

4 c chicken broth (use vegetable broth for vegetarian option)

1 T EVOO

1/2 tsp cinnamon

6 slices of fresh ginger (peeled)

3 cloves garlic, peeled

3/4 c full fat coconut milk

1/2 c water

2 T lemon or lime juice

sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large soup pot, saute garlic and ginger in EVOO for 2 minutes. Add squash, sweet potatoes and apple to pot. Add cinnamon. Saute 3-5 min., stirring frequently. Add broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until mixture is tender. Remove pot from heat and take out ginger and garlic pieces. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Add in coconut milk, water and lime/lemon juice. Return pot to burner and cook on low heat until heated through. Stir and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, set out bowls of toppings to choice from. Try chopped pistachios, pumpkin seeds, fresh herbs, shredded coconut, or raisins. Get creative and enjoy!

Healing Golden Milk

Golden milk is a traditional Ayurvedic beverage with many health benefits. The ingredients have antibacterial and antiviral properties and the antioxidants help strengthen your immune system. Golden milk is simple to make at home. For a single serving of golden milk or about one cup, simply follow this recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 c of an unsweetened milk of your choice (I used almond milk)

• 1 t of turmeric

• 1 small piece of grated fresh ginger or 1/2 t of ginger powder

• 1/2 t of cinnamon powder

• 1 pinch of black pepper

• 1 t of raw honey or maple syrup

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until fragrant and flavorful. Strain the drink through a fine strainer into mugs and top with a pinch of cinnamon and/or drizzle with honey. Enjoy hot or at room temperature! Especially good as a bedtime drink!

Instant Pot Cube Steak With Gravy

What says comfort food better than tender cube steak with a delicious gravy in the winter time? I used round steak to make my own cube steak chunks, and I chose to keep the gravy Paleo and gluten free compliant for all to enjoy. In my version, I cook the steak with sliced onions and peppers, but feel free to experiment with different vegetables such as cubed sweet potato, zucchini or even jicama chunks. Let me know what you like best!

Ingredients:

1 lb. beef cube steak (or make your own like I did- see picture below)

2 T oil, I used avocado oil

1/3 c arrowroot or cassava root flour (may substitute rice flour if eating grains)

2 cloves garlic, minced OR 2 t garlic powder

1 t sea salt

1 t ground black pepper

1 onion, sliced into thin rings, optional, add sliced peppers as well if desired

1 c beef broth or 1/2 c beef broth mixed with 1/2 c red wine

Directions:

!. Preheat Instant Pot to saute function.

2. Mix the flour and spices together and coat the beef cubes with this mixture.

3. Add oil to pot and saute beef cubes in batches on each side until brown.

4. Pour in broth or broth/wine mixture. Add onions. Set Instant Pot to manual for 15 minutes and lock lid.

5. Use quick release to release pressure cooker.

6. Remove meat and onions. Set Instant Pot to saute function once more.

7. Whisk 2 T of flour mixture with cold water. Add to heated broth in pot. Stir until sauce is thickened.

8. Serve sauce over meat.

9. Optional: serve cube steak over rice, cauliflower rice, or potatoes. Enjoy!

Round steaks, pounded thin and cut up make excellent cube steak!

Grain-free Ginger Spice Cookies

The holiday season is upon us and in our home we are counting the days until Christmas! Although our holidays look different this year due to the quarantine, we are using this special time to seek joy in new hobbies as well as old traditions. One of the ways we find joy during the Christmas season is creating fun treats through holiday baking and fragrant spices!

One of my favorite varieties from childhood are my mom’s snickerdoodle or ginger/cinnamon spice cookies, simply for the wonderful aroma that permeates my home when I bake with these spices. When I started eating a gluten free, grain free diet, I missed my old standby favorites. Although we have made many good varieties using the typical almond flour or coconut flour, I love to vary up the flours we use to incorporate different nutrients and tastes into our diet. This recipe utilizes tiger nut flour, which is actually a small tuber, and not a tree nut at all so perfect for your nut-free friends as well.

Tiger nut flour is high in beneficial prebiotic fiber that feeds good bacteria in the gut through the resistant starches found in tubers, root vegetables, legumes, plantains, and other plant foods. The bacteria then release, through their own digestion, short chain fatty acids to nourish the gut lining, B vitamins, tryptophan, and digestive enzymes to break down food more easily. Beneficial gut microbes regulate immune cell function to help soothe and calm your immune system. So, as you enjoy these treats, remember you are not only nourishing your body with better foods, but also your microbial colonies that live in your gut. Remember to nourish your microbes today and each day! Enjoy these cookies warm or cold.

Ingredients:

8 pitted medjool dates (about ½ c)
¼ c virgin coconut oil
1 legg
1 tsp vanilla
1 c tigernut flour (packed)
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the dates, oil, egg, and vanilla into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is very smooth and pureed. Then add the remaining ingredients and process again to combine.

Drop cookie dough by the heaping tbsp onto cookie sheet. You should have 12 to 14 cookies. Using wet hands, gently flatten each cookie. Bake for about 10 min. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes on the cookie sheet before placing onto a rack to fully cool (unless you want to grab them warm off the sheet and eat like I do). Enjoy!

Gluten Free Pear Crumble- Is it Breakfast or Dessert? How about both!

I don’t know about you, but nothing speaks wintertime and the holidays like the flavor of warm, spiced pears baking in the oven. After purchasing a large bag of mixed pears at my local Trader Joe’s this week, I decided to create a treat for my family by tweaking a few recipes I found online. I had enjoyed berry, peach or apple crumbles in the past, but never thought about using just pears! The end result is one of the most delightful treats I’ve experienced in a long time and one that is sure to become a favorite in your home too! I have kept this recipe gluten free by using almond flour, however, you may feel free to substitute regular flour as well if you choose to. Enjoy!

Filling ingredients:

2 lb. ripe but firm pears, any variety with skins intact (I used about 6 small pears to fill my casserole dish)

1/4 c coconut sugar

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 T pure vanilla extract

Crumble topping ingredients:

1 c almond flour or other flour of choice

1/4 c gluten free raw oats

1/2 to 3/4 c coconut sugar (use less if planning to serve with ice cream)

1 c walnuts, or pecans or combination, chopped

1/2 t ground cardamom

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and dry pears and chop into bite size pieces, removing the core and stem as you chop. Place in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice, vanilla and sugar. Meanwhile, add all dry crumble topping ingredients to a medium sized bowl and stir to combine. Add melted butter and mix well, using hands to incorporate fully.

Spoon fruit mixture in the bottom of an oval 8x10 baking dish and spread out evenly. Spoon crumble mixture on top of fruit evenly to cover. Bake in over approximately 40 minutes. If crumble browns too fast, cover with foil halfway through baking time. Serve warm in bowls topped with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

Oatmeal- do you eat this grain or do you avoid it?

Oatmeal- are you a fan or not?

As a child, I loved a good bowl of oatmeal, but it usually was the sugar-laden quick microwave variety that didn’t always do well for me. For years, I avoided oats, mostly because many oats on the market contain gluten and this triggers a lot of inflammation for me, I tend not to digest them well, and the high amount of carbs can spike my blood sugar. Sound familiar?

About 5 years ago, after becoming a functional NTP, I learned about the importance of properly preparing grains and other foods to be able to tolerate them and get the most nutrition from these foods.

One easy tip is soak your oats! Cover 1 cup of raw oats with water and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar overnight. This helps make the oats more digestible when you cook and eat them!

When cooking, drain the water and then add to a saucepan with clean water to cover. I like to add a few pats of grass fed butter for good fat, plus a few egg yolks to boost the nutrient density. Once cooked, I stir in a scoop of collagen powder to add protein. The added good fats and protein not only boost nutrient density, they help slow down absorption of the oatmeal so that it doesn't cause a spike/drop in blood sugar levels.

Top with fresh milk (if you tolerate dairy) or non-dairy milk of your choice, and topping choices are endless! Currently, I am enjoying my oatmeal with chopped pecans, shredded coconut and fresh blueberries. Let me know if you try this!

oats

Shrimp and Veggie One Pan Sheet Dinner

What’s for dinner……..that notorious question we are asked, often daily, by our family members and sometimes ourselves! It can feel downright overwhelming at times. In moments like these, when I need something super simple to get on the table in record speed, I turn to one-pan sheet dinners in my oven!

This recipe is super customizable- the variations I have tried are listed, but they are truly endless. It’s the mildly spicy and savory sauce that makes this a hit for all in my home!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. asparagus, broccoli, broccolini, or zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 1 tbsp olive oil or refined coconut oil (so no coconutty taste!)

• 3 tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos if soy free

• 1 tsp grated or minced fresh ginger

• 1 tbsp sriracha or other Asian chili-garlic sauce

• 2 tsp sesame oil

• 1 lb. uncooked peeled and deveined medium shrimp

• Sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Cooked white or brown rice, for serving (omit for paleo)

• one lemon or lime, cut into wedges

• 1/4 c thinly sliced scallions, for serving (optional)

• 1/2 c grape tomatoes (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F.

2. Place the veggies on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and toss to evenly coat. Spread into an even layer and roast for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the soy sauce or coconut aminos, ginger, chili-garlic sauce, and sesame oil together in a small bowl; set aside. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.

3. Add the shrimp and soy sauce/coconut aminos mixture to baking sheet, toss with the veggies, and spread back into an even layer. Add citrus wedges around the shrimp and veggies. Roast again, stirring halfway through, until the shrimp are just opaque and the broccoli is tender, 6 to 8 minutes more. Serve in bowls over rice if desired, sprinkled with the scallions or cut grape tomatoes. Enjoy!

RECIPE NOTES

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Chicken Pot Pie with Almond Crumble Topping

Hello friends! I haven't posted a recipe in a while as I've been focusing mainly on my one on one nutritional therapy clients and my group RESTART classes (see more in the Services section of my site). I have missed sharing what's going on in my kitchen and hope you enjoy this recipe, which is my healthier-version of a classic comfort food, chicken pot pie!

It has been raining nonstop in my area all week, which inspires me to turn on the oven and create some love in the kitchen for my family. I tend to want to stay inside and snuggle up on the couch with a cuppa tea and a good book during rainy weather, and this is a simple but scrumptious recipe that warms you inside and out. 

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked chicken, diced

2T butter + 3T separated  (I prefer Kerrygold grass fed)

1 yellow onion, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

3 carrots, diced

1 small pkg. mixed frozen veggies (about 1.5 cups- I prefer Cascadian Farms)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chicken bone broth

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 tsp arrowroot flour

sea salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp oregano

1 T parsley

1/2 tsp tumeric

1.5 cup almond flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, melt 2 T of butter. Add celery, onion, carrot and garlic and saute until slightly tender. Add chicken, broth, seasonings and cook 3 minutes more. Add coconut milk and frozen veggies and cook 2 minutes more. Pour filling into a greased 9x13 glass baking dish. In a saucepan, melt 3 T butter, then add 1.5 cup of almond flour. Stir until small clumps form. Crumble with fingers and sprinkle mixture over filling in baking dish. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes, until topping is golden. Enjoy!

GF/DF Mac and Cheese

I don’t know what food screams comfort to me more than a creamy, warm, savory bowl of mac and cheese! Alas, for many including myself, processed gluten and dairy-containing foods no longer serve my body well. So, what’s a girl to do?

I experimented with a few combinations and possibly a few mishaps and have FINALLY created a winner recipe for a creamy mac and cheese dish that hits the comfort food spot and is completely gluten AND dairy free! For those who may wonder, even my gluten and dairy loving friends have enjoyed this dish! To your health!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c raw cashews

• 3 Tbsp lemon juice

• 3/4 c water

• 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp turmeric

• pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

• 1/2 tsp spicy brown mustard (or dijon works here)

• 16 oz Elbow or shell pasta of choice (gluten-free, if needed)

• freshly ground black pepper

• paprika , for garnish

Instructions

1. Prepare the pasta according to package directions. (I use Tinkyada Joy rice pasta)

2. While the pasta is cooking, combine the cashews, lemon juice, water, salt, nutritional yeast, chili powder, garlic, turmeric, cayenne (if using), and mustard in a high speed blender and blend until silky smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add 2-4 more tablespoons of water and blend again.

3. Once the pasta is tender, drain and rinse it, then return the pasta to the pot and stir in the cheese sauce. Season to taste and serve! Enjoy!

Asian Lentil Soup

I don't know about you, but in the summer months (especially here in Texas!) I don't always want meat for my protein source. Although I eat primarily a primal-type diet which typically excludes all legumes (beans/peas), I do seem to tolerate these protein-packed vegetarian options well when I spend the time to properly prepare my legumes beforehand. Soaking and sprouting beans and lentils in a nutshell helps to increase digestibility for most people and allows more of the nutrients within to be utilized, and is what all traditional cultures did when consuming their legumes. I would much rather spend the time ensuring my food doesn't hurt my digestive system, especially with an autoimmune disease linked to leaky gut.  This being said, I don't always have the time to soak and sprout my lentils, so I was super excited to see pre-sprouted dried green lentils in the bins at my local Whole Foods! If you can't access this store near you, try these from Amazon (see below). Here's my summer pureed soup which combines tasty lentils with some of my favorite Asian-inspired flavors for a meatless, one-pot, easy dinner. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 T coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 T ginger, peeled and minced

1 t red curry paste (or more to taste)

1 T ground coriander

1 T cumin (or more to taste)

2 c full-fat coconut milk

2 c green or French lentils

2 qt chicken or vegetable broth (plus a bit extra if needed)

optional:  top with fresh cilantro, limes, or chopped pistachios

Directions:

In a large dutch oven or soup pot, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions and saute until translucent. Next, stir in the garlic and ginger, and stir. Then, add curry, cumin and curry paste. Mix well. 

Reduce heat to medium and add coconut milk and broth. Let cook for 5 minutes. Next, add the lentils and stir. Further reduce heat to medium-low and cook for around 30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. As more liquid as needed. 

When lentils are thoroughly cooked and tender, use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Use extra broth as needed to thin. Check seasonings to taste. Garnish and serve!

Creamy, satisfying lentil soup!