Chili is a great cold weather meal! In a perfect world, I would soak and cook my own kidney beans and use tomatoes I had canned during the previous summer. If you have time for that, great! You can even cook a large quantity of beans and freeze them in batches for future use.
Instead, this recipe uses canned products from the store. Great to have on hand when you need to make a big pot of chilly in a pinch. Continue reading
I have been experimenting with a few new gluten-free flours and one that stands out is maya nut flour. Also known as Ramon seed flour, it is highly nutritious and adds an extra nutty flavor to a recipe. It works great with my new gluten-free pumpkin muffins.
These pumpkin muffins are perfect for the Fall. Eat them with a smoothie in the morning, for lunch with veggies and humus, or as an afternoon snack. The flour combination makes them light and fluffy. Continue reading
In our house we tend to rotate our breakfasts throughout the week, alternating between smoothies, eggs, and paleo granola. Smoothies are great because they are fast to make and you can take them with you. You can also add a wide variety of healthy ingredients, which is a great way to start the day.
Each smoothie I make typically includes a fat, a fiber and a protein for a well rounded meal. A green leafy vegetable is a must and I sometimes include a ferment so we get some good probiotics. (Ferments include things like kefir water, kombucha, or even yogurt if you can tolerate dairy. See Healing Foods for more information on how to make your own ferments.)
Get started with the basic smoothie below. Continue reading
French fries are an American favorite, especially when eating out. However, most restaurant fries are deep fried in oils that are less than optimal. Typically GMO and pesticide laden vegetable oils are used, which are not made to be reheated over and over again. The oil becomes rancid after its first use.
These oils also oxidize when exposed to air and create what is known as aldehydes when heated at high temperatures, both of which are not good for the body. (Learn more about good and bad fats here.)
Instead, you can make your own healthy baked fries at home like we do. Continue reading
Almost everyone loves tacos. However, it can be a challenge to make them dairy-free, gluten-free and GMO-free.
Yes, your traditional corn tortilla or taco shell is made of corn, which is considered gluten-free, but corn is a GMO-crop and one that is sprayed heavily before harvesting. Organic corn is is often cross contaminated. Corn is also a high-mold crop and many people have sensitivities to it (even if they do not realize it). Other corn tortillas and taco shells are made with toxic vegetable oils and/or added preservatives.
Luckily, some creative companies have figured out how to make good tasting tortillas and taco shells that are corn-free, gluten-free, and even grain-free. Once you have these, you can get creative with the rest of the ingredients, using your favorites. Continue reading
As a family, we juiced many greens over the years using a wide variety of vegetables. In fact, years ago, my husband made me a veggie juice almost daily when I was pregnant.
However, some juices are too sweet to drink every day, like those with carrots, beets, and/or apples. Other juices contain veggies that are too high in oxalates for everyday consumption – things like spinach, beets, celery, chard, just to name a few.
The veggies in the recipe below create the perfect combination Continue reading
Well, I know you don’t really need a recipe for corn on the cob. 🙂 But, now that it is corn season (at least in the South), I wanted to share a few things about finding healthy corn. Continue reading
On its own, chia pudding* is a great treat when you are looking for something different. Something with texture and a little sweet. In this recipe, I combined the pudding with fruit to make a parfait, using raspberries and blueberries to create a red, white and blue version in honor of Independence Day.
As you will see below, chia pudding is simple to make. Use this recipe as a base and create your own yummy version. Some examples include eating the chia pudding with grain-free granola, stirring in some organic powdered cacao for a chocolate version, topping the pudding with nuts or seeds, or just enjoy it plain.
Chia seeds are packed with nutrients. Learn more about chia seeds here.
*NOTE: This recipe is high oxalate due to the chia seeds. You can substitute chia pudding with whipped coconut milk for a similar parfait effect. Continue reading
I made this sweet and tart cake for the first time when we celebrated two birthdays at the end of February, shortly before the talk of quarantines. When Memorial Day came around and the city of Nashville prepared to start opening back up, it seemed appropriate to make it again. This time as a celebration of the future.
It is extremely easy to make. I used a gluten free cake mix, which has just the right amount of sweetness. (See below mix suggestions.) It is the glaze topping that makes it so unique – it has only 3 ingredients and two of them come from a lemon. Continue reading
One American food favorite that is difficult to find gluten-free, dairy-free and GMO-free is PIZZA.
Most gluten-free pizza crusts include one unsavory ingredient or another, such as canola oil, corn, or soy. Most cauliflower crusts include dairy. And I have yet to find a gluten-free pizza (frozen or mix) that is also organic.
When my son was craving pizza last week, I used the best option I could find. It is not organic but has a pretty good ingredient list: Namaste Pizza Crust Mix.
The key to making a veggie pizza without cheese is to find an alternate ingredient that has some flavor. For us, that is a good pesto. We recently found a vegan pesto by Gotham Greens and have been using it in salads and wraps too. Continue reading
Growing up, my mother did not use a lot of recipes when making dinner. She just used her instincts. Years later I learned that the way she cooked was known as farm cooking. It makes sense. She grew up on a vegetable farm where her family of 12 grew their own vegetables. She was used to putting meals together from the garden.
That is why I like recipes like this one for shish kabobs. You don’t really need to measure. It is more about getting a variety of colorful veggies and deciding what type of meat to use. (If you are vegetarian, skip the meat and use more vegetables.) Be sure to use organic vegetables and quality meat. Once you fill up the kabob sticks, put all the remaining ingredients into a grill skillet and cook those on the grill too. Continue reading
Making a big batch of healthy stir fry is like making a big batch of soup. You can eat from it for several meals and even freeze it for a future meal.
It is also a great way to use up the extra veggies in the refrigerator. There are a few staples I put in every stir fry I make, like onions and garlic. The rest depends on what I have on hand: kale, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, zucchini, etc. You get the idea.
And I always add a protein, like meat, nuts, and/or legumes, plus add a few spices for flavor. Or, keep the spices to a minimum and add a good quality salt or coconut aminos to taste during the meal. (If using legumes instead of meat, add rice or quinoa too.**)
Every stir fry meal turns out a bit different. In the recipe below, I used broccoli, ground beef, and cashews. Don’t hesitate to experiment. Continue reading
This is a great muffin option when you have extra ripe bananas lying around. And, the quinoa flakes make a nice substitute for oatmeal. (The gluten in oatmeal can be a problem for many who are affected by wheat gluten.)
These muffins used to be a favorite in our house, but we needed a break. Now that my son is older, we modified them to make them more enticing. He can even make them himself. . . . who can resist a muffin when chocolate chips are added? Continue reading
A good hearty soup warms the body and the soul, especially when it is cold outside. And, a good homemade muffin makes any bowl of soup even better.
This muffin is not sweet. It has a nice, savory taste that couples well with any type of soup and even chill. It tastes that much better topped with grass fed butter or ghee. Continue reading
A new twist on an old holiday favorite. . . I took this classic recipe and made it my own. If you want to take some of your favorite recipes, especially those you loved as a child, and make a healthier option that is gluten-free, dairy-free and GMO-free, use this post to learn how. It is a matter of making the correct substitutions.