Author Archives for Sandra Shields, Healthy Food and Wellness Blogger, Health Coach, Balanced Living, Clean Beauty Consultant

About Sandra Shields, Healthy Food and Wellness Blogger, Health Coach, Balanced Living, Clean Beauty Consultant

Hello! I am Sam. I am a foodie, baker and a Health Coach who likes being in the kitchen making food. My recipes are all gluten free and there are recipes for different food intolerances as well. If you are looking to incorporate healthier eating habits and live a more balanced life, I hope to inspire you. I have had an obsession with baking since I was ten! I started this blog to share recipes I was making for myself after finding out I had gluten sensitivity and other food intolerances which I have mostly healed, but will always be sensitive to gluten. I went to school for Health Coaching as a second career at Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Nutrient dense food gives the body the best fuel and building blocks to be vibrant, healthy, prevent disease, and maintain great energy as well as heal. I am excited to share delicious food recipes, tips, baking and treats too!

Bread Stuffing Paleo SCD

Stuffing has always been my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal since I was a child. I used to be an Organic Artisan Bread Baker and sold my breads to the local co-op. I have had a serious love affair with really good homemade breads. Some of my fondest memories are of my mother’s homemade bread and how it made the kitchen smell. When my Mom went back to work when her children got older, my Pop took over the bread making. He used his own honey from the bees in the back yard to make his bread. Since going strictly Paleo almost three years ago, and then Paleo within an SCD Low FodMap template after discovering I had SIBO, I missed bread. I missed it more at first, and now I only miss it during special occasions when it is more the memories and emotional longing, because I am truly happy and feel amazing with my lifestyle and eating. However, I am making this spectacular stuffing for Thanksgiving using Pumpkin Seed Blender Bread. It is absolutely allowed because the flour is pumpkin seeds! I found the recipe on fellow blogger Danielle of Its a Love/Love Thing’s website that is here. I made a few modifications taking out the sweetness of the bread, which is a very good loaf, and made it savory for use as a stuffing bread to create a stuffing recipe. You can feel truly good about this stuffing. The pumpkin seeds add so much pure nutrition. They are rich in magnesium, zinc (which is important for prostate health), may improve insulin regulation, contain phytoestrogens, tryptophan (so if you are having turkey too, you will get a good amount of that and should sleep like a baby), and healthy fat. But really, it is simply a delicious, traditional stuffing that you will love. No need to tell anyone how good it is for them, unless you want to, because they will “gobble” it up!

Bread Stuffing with Paleo SCD Pumpkin Seed Bread

Bread Stuffing SCD Paleo

Directions:

Make bread as directed on Danielle’s website here omitting the honey, vanilla and cinnamon and adding 1 teaspoon each of thyme and sage and a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.

Stuffing Ingredients:

3 Cups Cubed Pumpkin Seed Bread (1/2 inch cubes)

3/4 Cup Finely Diced Fennel Bulb

3 Green Onions, sliced, green parts only

2 Cups Packed Baby Spinach

2 Eggs

1 Cup Chicken or Turkey Broth (homemade if you have it)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Duck Fat

1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley

1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme

1 Teaspoon Dried Sage

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink or Sea Salt

Directions: Grease a small casserole dish, about a quart sized. Preheat oven 350º degrees. Place your bread cubes in a large bowl and set aside. In a dutch oven or heavy sautee pan add olive oil or duck fat over medium-high heat. Add the diced fennel and green onion, and cook for five minutes until the fennel is tender. Stir in the salt, pepper, thyme, sage and parsley. Add the spinach and stir until wilted.

In a small bowl whisk together the eggs and broth. Fold them into the bread cubes, then add the sauteed vegetable mixture and incorporate that evenly. Pour the stuffing into your casserole dish, spread evenly in the pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until internal temperature measures 165º degrees and/or it is set. Mmmmmm, Stuffing!

Serves 4 – 6

(If you are very low FodMap have a smaller serving)

Zucchini Tomato Quiche

Good Morning! Want a yummy, pretty quiche that is easy but looks like it isn’t? I made this last night for dinner, and it is really good! It comes together fast, and the parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme in the crust is delish! It makes great leftovers also, or served cold for lunches. I used a 12 inch tart pan to make it, but a pie pan would work as well.

Zucchini Tomato Quiche

Directions: Preheat your oven 350º degrees. Grease a tart or pie pan lightly with shortening and set aside.

(See In My Pantry Page for Brands I like and are SCD Safe)

Crust Ingredients:

2 1/4 Cups Superfine Almond Flour

2 Tablespoons Organic Palm Shortening

1 Egg

3/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Dried Parsley

1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Rosemary

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Sage

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Thyme

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

For the Crust, in a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Melt the palm shortening and whisk into the almond flour and then the egg. Stir with a fork until crumbly and then press into the bottom of your tart or pie pan. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes, then remove and set aside.

Ingredients for Filling:

4 Cups of Zucchini sliced into thin rounds with a mandolin slicer (about 2 medium zucchini)

9 Cherry Tomatoes

4 Eggs (divided)

1/2 Teaspoon Pink Himalayan or Sea Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

2 Tablespoons Garlic Olive Oil (for the top)

Nutmeg

Directions for filling:

Slice your cherry tomatoes in half. Whisk two eggs in a small bowl, and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture on the tart crust spreading evenly, then make concentric overlapping circles with half of the zucchini slices, making a spiral. (See photo) Whisk together the last two eggs with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Pour the remaining 2 egg mixture over the zucchini and make sure it is evenly spread. Layer the rest of the zucchini in a spiral again. Brush the top layer of zucchini with 2 tablespoons of garlic olive oil, and top with the cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with a little, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until eggs are set. If you use a pie pan, it will take about ten minutes longer. Remove from the oven, cool slightly, then serve.

Zucchini Tomato Quiche

Eat Your Nutrients!

Very Vanilla Truffles

Truffles are such a treat for holidays! These truffles have just the right creamy mouth feel when you bite into them, with a little bit of salty and sweet and a hint of rum, which raises them to a whole new level of delicious! The cocoa butter melds perfectly with the almond butter to give you the creaminess everyone desires in a truffle. I love them as a special treat, and I think you will too. They are beautiful to give as gifts in mini muffin papers and then placed in a decorative tin, and equally enticing served on a pretty tray at a party. So, lets get to it! They aren’t difficult, but they are fancy!

Very Vanilla Truffles

Very Vanilla Truffles

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Cocao Butter (chopped)

1/2 Cup Almond Butter (no sugar added)

1/4 Cup Clear Honey

1 Vanilla Bean (split and seeds removed then pod discarded)

1 Tablespoon Light Rum

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract (SCD Legal no additives)

1/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt

1/4 Cup Toasted Pecans, finely chopped for rolling the truffles

Preheat your oven 350º degrees. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for five minutes until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

In a double broiler (You can also use a saucepan and a metal bowl for this to substitute as a double broiler) place approximately 2 inches of water and bring the water to a simmer. In the top part of your double broiler or a metal bowl that will fit on the saucepan without touching the water below, place the almond butter, cocoa butter, honey, vanilla bean and Himalayan Pink Salt. Put the bowl of ingredients over the simmering water and stir with a wire whisk to melt and incorporate the mixture thoroughly. When the cocoa butter is melted and the ingredients well combined, remove from the water and stir in the rum and vanilla extract. It will be quite liquid at this point. Refrigerate the truffle filling in the refrigerator for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until it becomes firm enough to scoop and roll into balls, but not too firm. Meanwhile, finely chop your cooled pecans. I use a Mini Ninja Express Chop for this because it is fast and easy to clean up. When the filling is set enough to roll, scoop the filling with a tablespoon cookie scoop, roll into balls and then roll into the finely chopped pecans. Put them in mini muffin cups and keep in the refrigerator. These will keep for at least two weeks.

Very Vanilla Truffles

These truffles are pretty, delicious treats!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Homemade Raspberry Vinegar

Raspberry Vinegar is one of my favorite ways to make a salad dressing. It is colorful and is one of my favorite fruits. Store bought raspberry vinegar is not allowed on the SCD diet because of added sugar, but this one is! It is made with real raspberries and red wine vinegar and is simple and fresh tasting with just two ingredients! Raspberries are loaded with Vitamin C and are an excellent source of Flavanoids and other vitamins. So here we go! The color is gorgeous!

Homemade Raspberry Wine Vinegar

Ingredients:

12 ounces of fresh raspberries

1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

Directions:

Place the fresh raspberries half at a time in a fine meshed sieve like this one. Hold the sieve over a bowl and press the raspberries with a spatula releasing the juice into the bowl and keeping the seeds and flesh in the sieve. Discard the seeds and pulp. Whisk in a half cup of Red Wine Vinegar into the raspberry juice (there should be half a cup of juice). Shake and store in the refrigerator to use as needed. That’s it! Now, if you love Raspberry Vinaigrette as much as I do, check out my recipe for Real Raspberry Vinaigrette here.

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Real Raspberry Vinaigrette

I have been really missing raspberry vinaigrette for my salads since starting the SCD, Low FodMap Diet. Here is a recipe for Real Raspberry Vinaigrette that had me wondering why I waited so long to try it. The seeds are removed from the raspberries using a fine meshed sieve to make the raspberry vinegar, recipe here, making the raspberries much easier on the digestion. Raspberries are loaded with Vitamin C and Flavanoids as well as other vitamins. This is a fresh, delicious salad dressing with an extraordinary color. It has good fat and lots of flavor! You will really enjoy this delicious dressing on a variety of salads!

Real Raspberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Homemade Raspberry Wine Vinegar (recipe here)

1/4 Cup Clear Honey

2 teaspoons Djon Mustard (garlic free such as Annie’s)

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt

Directions:

In a shaker (I use these and love them!) add all the dressing ingredients and shake well! Store in refrigerator. Makes 1 cup of dressing.

Real Raspberry Vinaigrette

Eat Your Nutrients!

Pumpkin Vanilla Bean Pie (Paleo, SCD, Low FodMap)

You can be proud to bring this Pumpkin Vanilla Bean Pie to any gathering! My husband, Doug, loves this recipe! It is extra special because of the vanilla bean and light rum in the filling, and the crust is just the right thickness. I played with the recipe quite a lot until I perfected it, and it is a winner!

Festive SCD Paleo Pumpkin Vanilla Bean Tart

Holiday Pumpkin Vanilla Bean Pie (Paleo, SCD, GAPS)

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 1/4 Cups Superfine Almond Flour

3 Tablespoons Organic Shortening

1 Pastured Egg

3/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt

Pumpkin Filling:

1 Can SCD Legal Pumpkin

1/2 Cup Clear Honey

1 Vanilla Bean

3 Pastured Eggs

1/2 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk (No Additives)

2 Tablespoons Light Rum (I used Bacardi)

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Ginger

1/4 Teaspoon Cloves

1/4 Teaspoon Allspice

1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg

1/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt

Directions:

Preheat your oven 350º degrees.

CRUST:

Grease the insides of a pie pan or 11 inch springform tart pan. In a medium bowl, add the almond flour and shortening. Work the shortening into the almond flour with a fork and finish off by using your fingers until it is crumbly and well dispersed. Add a lightly whisked egg and the salt and stir with a fork until it forms a ball. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pie crust to decorate the top, and press the rest of the crust evenly onto just the bottom of the pan. Roll the 1/4 cup of crust between two pieces of parchment or plastic wrap to 1/4 inch thickness and cut out shapes of your choice with a small cookie cutter. Place the shapes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake the shapes for 5 minutes, the crust for 8 minutes in the oven, remove and cool while you prepare the filling.

FILLING:

Warm the honey in the microwave for 30 seconds in a small bowl. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a small spoon. Whisk the vanilla bean seeds into the warmed honey. In a large bowl whisk together your pumpkin and coconut milk, add the honey and vanilla bean seed mixture. Whisk in the eggs and rum until fully incorporated. Finally, whisk in the spices and salt.

Place your pan on a rimmed cookie sheet to protect again spills, and pour the filling into the tart crust. Carefully place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with your pie crust cutouts and chill for four hours before serving.

Festive Pumpkin Vanilla Bean Tart (Paleo, SCD)

Holiday Pumpkin Vanilla Bean Pie (Paleo, SCD, GAPS)

Serves 8

A delicious holiday dessert!

Pumpkin Tart

Eat Your Nutrients!

Ming Turns Three!

Time has flown by with Ming. She is my first small dog, and she is more wonderful than I could have imagined. We have had all sizes of dogs in our immediate and extended families, and each one is so individual in their personalities, likes and dislikes. My daughter had a teacher once who told the class “dogs do not have emotions”. I don’t know the basis of her statement, but she couldn’t be more wrong.

Ming Turns Three!

Some of the emotions and feelings of dogs I know are , Lucy a black lab, who is afraid of thunderstorms, she also smiles and talks at her favorite people. Leila, a golden retriever, who gets upset when left alone and gives the cold shoulder upon her owner’s return, and Lily, the black pug at the left. Ming’s sister. Lily is jealous in this photo because Ming is getting extra attention on her birthday. Lily gets to share the strawberries and dog presents too, but she can’t help being jealous a lot, which also makes her bossy of Ming. Ming tolerates Lily’s jealousy most of the time, because she loves Lily and is also confident in her place in the family. Lily was five months old when she became part of our family and had lacked attention the first five months, spending most of her time in a cage. She is a lovely, tail wagging girl who presses her body against you because she craves physical contact.

Baby Ming

Here is Ming when she was a bitty baby pug that fit in the palm of my hand. She was a Christmas gift from my husband. He came into the house with her tucked into his coat two days before Christmas, and said, “reach inside my coat for a surprise”. She was a fluffy warm ball of fur.

Happy Birthday Ming, Ming. You have brought me three years of joy, extra love, cuddles and laughter!

Spicy Zucchini Sticks

Sides are some people’s favorite part of the meal. I like to have a lot of veggie sides for dinner so I can load up on my vegetables and get a variety of nutrients. As an added bonus, there are lots of leftover vegetables for breakfast and lunch, so I am cooking vegetables once a day, but eating them at every meal.

These Spicy Zucchini Sticks are a perfect side for burger or taco night. They are fast and have just the right amount of heat. I am serving them tonight with Messy Jessie’s.

Spicy Zucchini Sticks

SPICY ZUCCHINI STICKS

Ingredients:

4 Medium Zucchini

3/4 Cup Superfine Almond Flour

2 Tablespoons Garlic Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt

1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika

1/2 Teaspoon Chipotle Powder (No Garlic Added)

1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric

Directions:

Preheat oven 350º degrees. Wash the zucchini and slice into quarters lengthwise. Lay in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet, and brush with garlic olive oil. Set aside. In a small bowl mix together the superfine almond flour, black pepper, Himalayan pink salt, smoked paprika, chipotle powder and turmeric. Coat the zucchini sticks with the almond flour mixture by sprinkling over the zucchini and tossing a bit with your hands. Making sure they are in a single layer, bake in your preheated over 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown. They are delicious with SCD Low FodMap BBQ Sauce.

Eat Your Nutrients!

Asian Shrimp Egg Custard w/ Scallion Oil Drizzle

Do you like Chinese Steamed Egg Custard? When we were in China to adopt our beautiful daughters, we had the best savory egg custards! Our girls were babies, and they loved this delicate silky food. The nannies gave it to the children regularly as part of their daily meals, and I learned how to make it at home, so they could continue to enjoy it. I changed up this recipe of traditional Chinese Egg Custard by baking them and incorporating Coconut Milk and Macadamia Nut Oil, although there are so many variations depending on the province you are visiting. This recipe is one the family asks for regularly, and it is easy and kid friendly, but looks and tastes fancy enough to serve as an appetizer at a dinner party or festive occasion. Adults love it too! It is nutritious with two eggs per serving, shrimp and good fat.

Asian Inspired Shrimp Egg Custard with Scallion Oil Drizzle

Asian Shrimp Egg Custard with Scallion Oil Drizzle

Ingredients:

8 Eggs

32 shelled and deveined small shrimp, steamed

1 1/2 Cups Bone Broth or Chicken Stock

1/2 Cup Coconut Milk, Full Fat SCD Legal no Additives

3/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt

Pinch of White Pepper

Duck Fat for Greasing the Ramekins

For the Scallion Oil:

2 fresh scallions green parts only, sliced

1/2 Cup Macadamia Nut Oil or Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt

Directions:

Preheat Oven 350º degrees. Grease 4 Ramekins with Duck Fat, set aside. To make your Scallion Oil, place sliced scallions, macadamia oil and 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt in a small food processor and blend until emulsified with a few bits of green scallion flecks, set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together your 8 eggs, bone broth, coconut milk, Himalayan Pink Salt and a pinch of white pepper. Stir in 3 Tablespoons of scallion oil and whisk again. Pour evenly into the four ramekins. Place 5 shrimp in the center part of each ramekin. They will sink, that is good! Place ramekins in a roasting pan or a pan with sides, and pour boiling water into the pan so it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake 350º degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, just until set but still slightly jiggly in the middle. Remove from oven and top with three shrimp artfully arranged and drizzle each with 2 teaspoons of scallion oil. They should cool for about 5 to 10 minutes before serving so you don’t burn your tongue.

Served 4

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Weeknight Tacos SCD, Low FodMap, Paleo

You don’t have to give up tacos when eating SCD Low FodMap. Here is a delicious taco that uses butter lettuce “shells”. It is an easy weeknight meal!

Weeknight Tacos SCD, Low FodMap, Paleo

Weeknight Tacos, SCD Low FodMap Paleo

Ingredients:

1 Pound of Ground Grassfed Beef

1 Pound of Ground Pork

1 Large Green Bell Pepper

1/2 Cup Green Onion, sliced (green parts only)

2 Tablespoons Garlic Infused Olive Oil

1 Cup Tomato Puree, SCD Legal

1/3 of a Fresh Serrano Chili Pepper, Minced

1 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin

2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika

1 Teaspoon Ground Ancho Chili Pepper

1 Teaspoon Ground Oregano

1 Teaspoon Ground Chipotle Powder

1/8 Teaspoon Cayanne Pepper

1 Head of washed Butter Lettuce, Cleaned and Separated

Directions:

Finely chop the Green Pepper, slice your green onion tops thinly and mince your Serrano Chili Pepper. Mix the rest of your spices together in a small bowl and set aside. Add 2 Tablespoons of Garlic Olive Oil to a large sautee pan. Turn your burner to medium high, when olive oil is warmed, add your pork and grass fed beef to the pan and sprinkle with the Himalayan Pink Salt and Pepper. Brown for about ten minutes, breaking up the meat, then add both your peppers and the green onion. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until tender. Add the seasoning you mixed and set aside to your meat mixture and cook for one minute stirring to coat evenly. Then, add your tomato puree, bring up to a boil. When it is boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer until reduced and thick. This takes about 5 minutes. Serve with butter lettuce shells.

Eat Your Nutrients!