This refreshing drink is bursting with vitamin C and skin glowing Mango! The real ginger aids in digestion and is delicious with the other flavors and sparkling water. It is delightful!
I am not on the low carb band wagon. I actually tried it a few years ago, and found that the activity levels I sustain all day, and my hormone balance, requires moderate carbohydrates, and the benefits of fruit in my diet were fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, disease risk reduction, and glowing skin! I am a strong advocate for real food carbohydrates in the form of starchy vegetables and fruit, as well as other health promoting grains if tolerated. We are all unique bioindividuals and need different things at different times and stages of our lives. I have successfully added back in quinoa and Greek yogurt occasionally much to my delight!
Mango Orange Refresher
Two Servings
Ingredients:
1 Cup of Fresh, Ripe Diced Mango
1 Ripe Banana
1″ Nub of Peeled Fresh Ginger Root
1/2 Cup of High Quality Orange Juice or Freshly Squeezed
Directions: Blend all the ingredients except the Sparkling Mineral Water in a blender until smooth. Add the mineral water and just incorporate. Pour into two tall glasses!
I have a new Chinese chicken makeover that will fulfill all your cravings for Chinese takeout and not leave you feeling bloated and thirsty the next day.
The chicken is skillet to oven, and we are going to make some butternut squash noodles and oven roast the bok choy! It’s a really, really good dinner.
I am making this for Chinese New Year this year and am still working on some other recipes to add as well. It is a very special time for my family. Two of my daughter’s were adopted from China when they were babies, and I have always honored their heritage. One of the ways we do that is having a party on Chinese New Year and also the Autumn Moon Festival. Visiting China was magical each time, and authentic Chinese food is amazing, with lots of healthy vegetables included.
Chinese Chicken and Noodles with Bok Choy
Preheat your oven to 375º degrees F.
To begin, prep your butternut noodles and bok choy (see below). Then, mix together the ginger, tarragon, cinnamon, sea salt and cloves, and season your chicken cubes evenly with it.
Ingredients for the Chicken:
8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into fourths
1 Tablespoon of Ground Ginger
2 Teaspoons of Tarragon
1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
1 1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt
1/2 Teaspoon of Cloves
1 Tablespoon of Garlic Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil (you may substitute 3 minced garlic cloves if you like and use regular olive oil in place of the garlic infused olive oil.)
Directions for the Chicken: In a large oven safe skillet, add the olive oils over medium high heat, swirling to coat the pan. Then add the seasoned chicken when the olive oil is hot enough to sizzle. Cook the chicken four minutes on one side or until golden brown, then flip the cubes and brown the other side. When the chicken is brown but not cooked through, pour the reduced chicken sauce over the chicken in the skillet, and toss to coat evenly. Place the skillet into the oven and cook the chicken an additional five minutes, or until the chicken is done. Spoon the chicken into a bowl and pour the sauce from the pan and all the brown bits over the chicken.
Chicken Sauce:
1/4 Cup of Coconut Amminos
1/4 Cup of Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
3 Tablespoons of Honey
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
Directions for Chicken Sauce:
Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Then, lower the temperature and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half. Set aside to prepare the chicken.
Directions: Spiralize the solid end of the peeled butternut squash. (I use this one and love it.) In a large skillet, add the olive oil, salt and garlic and cook over medium high until fragrant, this happens very quickly. Add the spiralized butternut squash noodles. Toss and cook until al dente. Then, whisk together the coconut aminos and honey, and toss with the squash noodles to coat. Cook a few more minutes, then set aside until ready to serve.
Ingredients for the Bok Choy
6 Baby Bok Choy (Mine were pretty large, so you be the judge of how much you want.)
1/4 Cup of Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder (Omit for Low FodMap and substitute 1 Tablespoon of Garlic Olive Oil in place of 1 of the tablespoons of Olive Oil above)
1 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger
1 Tablespoon of Coconut Aminos
1/2 Teaspoon of Fish Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt
Directions: Preheat the oven to 375º degrees F. Wash and half the bok choy lengthwise (see photo). Lay on a rimmed sheet pan. Whisk together the rest of the ingredients, and brush evenly over the bok choy. Bake in your oven for 20 minutes.
To Serve:
Place a mound of noodles on your plate. Spoon Chinese chicken and sauce over the noodles add some bok choy on the side. Dig in!
It’s almost a New Year, and I know you most likely want this to be your healthiest year yet! I know I do! In times when obesity is at an all time high, even in our children, and the next generation is the first not expected to live as long as their parents, there has never been a more urgent time to clean up our eating so we can live longer for our loved ones, and leave a legacy of healthy habits for our children to follow. I’ve attached a short video below of Dr. Oz speaking about this and using food as medicine.
That being said, we don’t have to sacrifice delicious food to be healthy and improve our health. That is a myth! Because, real food is delicious food, and I would argue the most delicious of all if our palettes are back on track, and we have so many different spices and herbs and alternatives at our fingertips!
Here is a wonderful salmon dinner using canned non-gmo salmon. It is a budget friendly meal, topped with a fat everyone loves…….the beloved avocado! The salmon burgers have fresh dill in them and other dried herbs, and are delicious! Have I ever told you how much I love herb shears? I am short on the patience required to finely mince herbs like parsley, dill, etc. Kitchen herb shears are so fast, and the mince is super fine. I put a link below if you are interested in seeing what I’m talking about. They come in super handy and are inexpensive!
Salmon Patties on Roasted Red Cabbage with Avocado
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Minced Dill (I use these herb shears for mincing herbs. They are fabulous and fast!)
1 Tablespoon of Garlic Infused Olive Oil (you may substitute 2 cloves or garlic and regular olive oil if you like)
2 Teaspoons of Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons of Avocado Oil or Olive Oil
Ingredients for Roasted Red Cabbage:
1 Large Head of Red Cabbage, Cored and Shredded with a sharp knife
1/4 Cup of Avocado Oil
2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt
Directions:
Cook the diced leeks, celery and 1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt in 1 tablespoon of Garlic Infused Olive Oil over medium high heat on your stove top until soft. While this is cooking, whisk together the coconut flour, gelatin, herbs and the other 3/4 teaspoon of sea salt. In a food processor, place the drained, canned salmon, the cooked celery and leeks, apple cider vinegar, and coconut flour mixture, and mix until thoroughly incorporated. With a half cup measure, scoop out the salmon mixture, and form five patties on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for at least an hour, covered, but as long as overnight. This firms the patties up.
When you are ready to make your patties, Preheat the oven to 400º F. To prepare your red cabbage, toss the cabbage with 1/4 cup of Avocado Oil, the apple cider vinegar and sea salt. Lay on a large rimmed baking sheet, and spread it out in an even layer. It shrinks by about 50 percent when cooking. Place it in your preheated oven, and roast for a full 40 minutes, tossing with tongs after the first twenty minutes. When it is done, it will have crispy brown edges.
When the cabbage is almost done, you can cook the patties. Since everything in these patties are fully cooked, the object is to warm them through and brown the outsides. I used a cast iron skillet. They will be easy to handle when cooking because of the gelatin, but become softer as they cook. They are delicate and delicious, but care is needed in flipping them. The patties are cooked in two batches or use two skillets if you want to cook them all at once. Add a tablespoon of Avocado oil or fat of choice to your skillet over medium heat. Swirl the pan to coat it, and place three of your patties in the pan. Brown on each side, and they are ready to serve. Repeat with the other two patties.
To serve, place a generous mound of roasted red cabbage on your plate. Top the cabbage with a salmon patty and sliced avocado. Feel free to drizzle with a sauce. I never say no to that! I like the Mastadon BBQ which is here.
In this short Interview with Dr. Oz and our President, Dr. Oz discusses solutions to our all-time high obesity rates in adults and children in our country. Dr. Oz is a huge advocate for food as medicine!
This flavorful, nutrient rich, salad with chopped radicchio and oven roasted broccoli is a delicious mixture of crunchy, sweet and salty. The salad is tossed with apple juice sweetened cranberries, salty bacon and is drizzled with a honey lemon vinaigrette. The colors are bright and vibrant, and it keeps well in the refrigerator for three days.
Radicchio originated in Italy, and gives the salad a pop of color as well as phytonutrients, flavonoids, vitamin c, k and b vitamins. It has a bold flavor and looks similar to red cabbage, but is nothing like it other than color. It is a member of the chicory family.
Broccoli is a vegetable in the cruciferous family and is full of nutrients. At the top of the list is vitamin k, c, chromium, folate and many more. This is a really delicious and eye catching salad!
Broccoli Radicchio Salad with Bacon
Ingredients:
8 Cups of Raw Broccoli Florets plus 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil or Avocado Oil and 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
Two small heads of Radicchio (8 Cups) Washed and shredded with a sharp knife
1/2 Cup of Crumbled Cooked Bacon (I used sugar free Paleo bacon)
1/4 Cup of Apple Juice Sweetened Cranberries (I use these)
Preheat your oven to 400º degrees F. Toss the broccoli florets in the oil and sea salt. Roast in your preheated oven in the center rack for approximately 25 to 30 minutes until crispy and brown. They will be almost like a chip. They should be golden brown and crispy on the edges, but not burned.
Meanwhile, place your washed and shredded radicchio into a large bowl and make the vinaigrette.
Directions: Whisk together all the ingredients until emulsified.
Pour the dressing over the radicchio. Pour the prepared dressing over the top and toss to coat thoroughly. When the broccoli is done, place it on top of the dressed radicchio while it is hot. Add the cranberries and crumbled bacon. I like to serve it layered like this with a long set of salad tongs.
That’s it! It’s ready to serve, and as I said, this salad stays fresh in the refrigerator for several days. The radicchio is a sturdy leaf and doesn’t wilt or get soggy with the vinaigrette added to it, and the flavors just get better.
Here is a delicious Paleo rendition of the Pilgrim Burger with all the flavors of Thanksgiving! It is a burger with a squash or sweet potato bun, mashed celeriac or potatoes, a turkey burger, and fresh cranberry sauce on top! Thanksgiving flavors in a burger!
Paleo Pilgrim Burger
Fresh and Quick Cranberry Sauce:
Ingredients:
8 ounces of organic fresh cranberries
1/3 Cup of Maple Syrup
2 Teaspoons of Fresh Organic Orange Zest
3 Tablespoons of Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger
1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Cloves
1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt
Bring the cranberry mixture to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer and cook 7 – 8 minutes until the cranberries pop. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes, and then take a potato masher and mash until there are still some cranberry pieces in it, but is creamy. Place in a serving bowl.
For the “bun”:
Preheat your oven to 400° F. Lay out a rimmed cookie sheet covered with parchment.
Bun Ingredients:
1 Butternut Squash, Top half without seeds peeled and sliced into 1/2″ rounds
or
1 Large Sweet Potato, Peeled and sliced into 1/2″ rounds
Directions: Place the rounds onto the baking sheet and brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in your preheated oven for 30 minutes until soft when pierced with a fork.
For the Mashed Celeriac or Potatoes you will need:
2 medium Celeriac Root peeled or 2 to 3 large russet potatoes
1 Cup of Chicken Broth or Bone Broth, more if needed
1/2 Cup of Coconut Milk
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil or Ghee
Sea Salt to Taste
Directions: Cook the cubed celeriac or potatoes in the chicken broth, covered at a simmer until tender. Place in a food processor, and add the coconut milk, fat of choice and salt to taste. Puree until smooth and creamy. Now for the burger!
Ingredients for the Burger:
2 lbs. of Ground Turkey
1 Tablespoon of Maple Syrup
2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt
2 Tablespoons of Grated White Onion
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Sage
1/2 Teaspoon of Thyme
Chopped Green Onion for the top.
Directions: Mix all the ingredients together, and form into 6 patties. Heat a cast iron skillet to hot, and place additional olive oil in a cast iron skillet to coat the pan. Cook three burgers at a time. To assemble, place the squash bun or sweet potato round on the bottom, add a generous scoop of mash, the burger and then top with the fresh cranberry sauce. Sprinkle with green scallions. Serve hot!
You can make this as often as you like, but it is especially delicious over the holidays! A fancy way I like to serve them is to assemble them all on a large turkey platter, and let everyone pick their favorite!
Tarragon imparts sweetness to sauteed pears. This chicken dish comes together quickly and tastes elegant.
I received a fruit and nut gift basket this week as a gift, and it included organic pears which are delicious just plain when perfectly ripe…..so good! When you slice and cook them in some olive oil and add onions, they are divine, soft, savory and sweet. Then add some juicy chicken thighs, and you have a fantastic main dish!
Orange Tarragon Chicken with Caramelized Pears
Preheat oven 375º degrees.
Ingredients:
8 boneless chicken thighs
1 Ripe Pear, cored and sliced (it doesn’t need to be really ripe, but soft)
1 1/2 Teaspoons of Herbamare Sea Salt Seasoning (this kind)
Directions: In a large oven proof skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium high heat until warm. Add the pears and onion to the olive oil in the skillet, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of Herbamare and 1 teaspoon of tarragon. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes stirring occasionally until the pears and onion are soft and starting to caramelize.
Meanwhile, cut each boneless chicken thigh into quarters and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of tarragon and 1 teaspoon of Herbamare seasoning salt.
Remove the caramelized pear and onion from the pan and set aside. Add the last tablespoon of olive oil, and then the seasoned chicken. Sprinkle the orange zest onto the chicken. Sautee for 4 minutes then flip the chicken and cook for 4 more minutes. Add the orange juice to the pan and cook for 1 minute to reduce the juice. Stir in the pear and onion mixture. Place the pan in the oven for ten minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve and enjoy!
Eat Your Nutrients!
*Affiliate Link – I receive a small commission when you purchase products I recommend through my Amazon links. I use these products myself and never recommend anything I haven’t tried and use regularly. The small commission helps me keep my blog up, so if you have enjoyed my posts and recipes, I appreciate your support. You don’t pay any extra for your products. Thank you.🙂
An Instant Pot is an incredibly fast way to cook when you are busy and don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. Making a pot roast takes time in the oven, about three to four hours to get it fork tender, but with an instant pot you can be ready to eat in about an hour. That is total cooking time, not total time you have to be in the kitchen. Once you get it going, you can walk away. Love it!
I added plenty of vegetable sides to make a healthy dinner. The bed of cabbage soaked up all the juices, and we had carrots and broccoli as well. You choose! 🙂
Directions: Cube the Chuck after you have seasoned both sides with Umami Herb Blend. Put the Beef into the instant pot. Whisk together the orange juice, coconut aminos, broth, honey and ginger. Pour over the beef and add the leeks. Place the top on your instant pot and seal the steam valve at the top. Press the Meat/Stew selection, and you are done. The chuck will cook for 35 minutes, then do a cool down. Release the steam valve, and after the steam is released, remove the top and that’s it! You have a delicious, fork tender roast in a third of the time!
Eat Your Nutrients!
*Affiliate Link – I receive a small commission when you purchase products I recommend through my Amazon links. I use these products myself and never recommend anything I haven’t tried and use regularly. The small commission helps me keep my blog up, so if you have enjoyed my posts and recipes, I appreciate your support. You don’t pay any extra for your products. Thank you.🙂
Hello! I am Sandra, and I am Mom to five, wife and now a grandmother (Mimi) of two grandsons, and a pug Mom! I started this blog as a place to record recipes I was making for myself after being diagnosed with SIBO and low thyroid. I had no idea what I was going to eat and how I would feed my hungry husband and children. I went to school for Health Coaching after I started recovering at Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I wanted to have recipes the whole family would enjoy, that were healthy, tasty and made with ingredients that promoted digestive healing and overall health. Taking real food and creating delicious recipes is something I love to do. I believe nutrient dense food gives the body the best sources to be vibrant, healthy, prevent disease, and maintain great energy as well as heal. I am excited to share with others delicious food recipes and tips!
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