Tag Archives: Low Carb

Delicious Spiralized Antipasto Zoodles Salad, Winter Health Tips, and Clean Skincare

January 4, 2023
Sandra Shields, Healthy Food and Wellness Blogger, Health Coach, Balanced Living, Clean Beauty Consultant
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Beautycounter Skincare, Clean Beauty, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Health Coach, Health Coach Tip, Healthy Salad Recipe, IIN Health Coach, Low Carb, Safer Skincare, Safer Sunscreen, Spiralized Antipasto Zoodle Salad, Spiralized Zoodle Salad, Winter Health Tips, Zoodles, Zucchini Antipasto Salad

**Winter Health Tips, Spiralized Antipasto Health Zoodles Salad and Safer Skincare**

Happy New Year friends!! The days are getting longer, and I am craving fresh, delicious, food that makes me feel good because of all the nutrients in it! This Spiralized Antipasto Zoodles Salad is full of all the flavor, is low in carbs and it’s fun to make…..because….zoodles are just so fun!

First off if you don’t already have a spiralizer, it is affordable! and a great investment in your kitchen accessories. I use my spiralizer frequently and is as necessary to my kitchen as a food processor and blender. This is my favorite spiralizer of the three I have tried. This one suctions to the countertop and makes a wonderful variety of spiralized shapes, and I have had it 5 years and it is still going strong. Oh, and this is a no cook recipe!

Delicious Spiralized Antipasto Zoodles Salad

Ingredients:

5 medium to small zucchini, spiralized (I used the FS Blade on my spiralizer)

1 Teaspoon of Salt to draw moisture out of the zucchini (see directions)

3 oz. of Sopressata, diced (I used Culinary Tours gluten free brand.) You can also use thin sliced Salami

1/4 cup of Fresh Basil, torn

3 Green Onions (scallions), sliced

Sliced Black Olives (I used a 3.8 oz. can)

1/4 cup of Roasted Red Peppers, diced

1/4 cup of oil packed Sundried Tomatoes, finely diced I use Mediterranean Brand Organic Sundried Tomatoes In Olive Oil

Dressing:

3 Tablespoons of Garlic Infused Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons of Red Wine Vinegar

2 Tablespoons of Good Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Teaspoon of Nutritional Yeast (adds umami and a cheesy flavor)

1/4 Teaspoon of dried Oregano

1/4 Teaspoon of dried Parsley

1/4 Teaspoon of Salt

1/4 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl until emulsified.

Directions: Spiralize your zucchini. Spiralizing really magnifies the amount of zucchini. Look!

Place the spiralized zucchini in a colander over a bowl, and toss the zucchini in the teaspoon of salt. Let sit over the bowl for 30 minutes. The zucchini will release some juices. This helps prevent the salad from being watery. Zucchini has a lot of water in it. After 30 minutes, take a large serving spoon or rubber spatula and press the zucchini in the colander firmly to release more of the liquid. Now, we are ready to make the rest of the salad! Let’s go!

It really is just assembly at this point and so easy! Put your zoodles in a large bowl. Add the rest of the chopped, sliced and diced ingredients. Whisk up your delicious dressing, and pour it over everything. Grab you salad tongues and toss thoroughly, but gently. It’s ready to eat, or you can store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it. It will just increase in flavor.

This Spiralized Antipasto Zoodles Salad is a wonderful addition to any meal or a delicious lunch. It’s pretty, fun, and healthy and good for you!

Now, here’s some health tips to get your through the winter months! Since the days are colder and darker, it is important to implement mindful self care for yourself.

Which of these have you already implemented and which ones are you going to add? Please reach out to me with any questions. I love to hear from you.

As far as the sunscreen in the winter goes, are you choosing a safe sunscreen? It defeats the purpose of protecting your skin if you are putting chemicals on that absorb into your bloodstream. I recommend Beautycounter safer sunscreen with non-nano zinc. It is the safest out there and also reef friendly. My family and I have been using it for 9 years now, almost as long as Beautycounter has been making safer skincare products. They celebrate their ten year anniversary in March, and I love their mission and the high quality and safety of their products. If you want to know more or go see all the safer skincare, makeup and family care they have, here is the link. I have been a consultant with them for almost four years now after using their products for several years before, and they are a highly reputable company that is changing laws for safer skincare and beauty for all, have a strong recycling and sustainability mission, and their skincare is high quality.

https://beautycounter.com/sandrashields

Getting through winter requires maintaining all areas of our health. This time of year we can get restless and tired of the constant darkness and cold. Many people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which lasts through the winter months. Try these 12 health tips to help get your through the winter.

Enjoy the salad recipe! I plan on making this on a weekly rotation, wearing my sunscreen, and implementing winter health tips!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Low Carb

My first introduction to chicken enchilada casserole was in high school when I went over to my friend Kristy’s house, and her mom made it for dinner. I was also taught how to properly eat a whole artichoke at that time. Amazing! The casserole was absolutely delicious, and I took the recipe home with me and gave it to my mom to make (who was an excellent cook) as well.

At that time I didn’t have a clue what gluten, gluten sensitivity or celiac was. We tried to eat healthy, and also had our share of Oreos and Nutter Butters in the cookie drawer, and it being the 70’s, I was envious of the kids who got to eat tv dinners. Ha! I completely didn’t know how lucky I was to have a mom who cooked most everything from scratch and fed us plenty of garden vegetables that my dad (Pop) grew with his very capable hands, lovingly adding compost, leaves and other garden amenities every year to make the soil fertile and very black.

But I digress, this is about Chicken Enchilada Casserole that is something to brag about and be appreciated by those who partake of it. This casserole is a healthy version of a casserole I loved that also happens to be gluten and grain free. A little secret…cashew based sauces are a creamy alternative to cream cheese.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:

8 cups of chopped, cooked bone in chicken thighs

1 Cup of Gluten Free Enchilada Sauce (I used this brand)

2 Tablespoons of Chopped Green Chilies (I used a gluten free brand from the grocery store)

1 Tablespoon of Taco Seasoning (I used this brand which is gluten free and no fillers and delicious)

1 Cup of Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese (for the top)

1 Cup of Plain Greek Yogurt

Salt and Pepper for the Chicken to Taste

My Recipe for Dairy “Cheese” Sauce here:

Dairy Free Cheese Sauce:

1 Cup of Raw Cashews soaked in 4 cups of water for 4 hours, then rinsed and drained)

1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded

1/4 Cup of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 Tablespoon of Nutritional Yeast

1 Teaspoon of Ground Tumeric

1/2 Teaspoon of Onion Powder

1/4 Teaspoon of Salt

Directions:

Soak your cashews. You can also do this in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Lay out your bone in skin on chicken thighs in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside to cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

While the chicken cools a little, drain and rinse your soaked cashews. Blend up your sauce using the soaked cashews (we soak them to soften them and get them really, really creamy).

In a high speed blender, add the cashews and all the Cheese Sauce ingredients, and using your plunger blend it on high until it is completely combined and very creamy.

Remove the bones from the thighs, and chop them into bite sized pieces. Put them in a big mixing bowl, and add in your cashew cheese sauce you just blended and the rest of the ingredients except the shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and combine using a rubber spatula. Grease a large casserole dish, and put your chicken enchilada mixture in to the dish. Spread evenly.

Sprinkle the shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top, and bake for 30 minutes until the sides are bubbly. If you’d like, you can refrigerate it to bake later, just increase the baking time to 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Instant Pot Egg Bites

I received an Instant Pot silicone egg bites pan for Christmas from my daughters, so of course I had to put it to good use!

This is a delicious way to eat eggs, and so fun. Eggs made in the instant pot are tender and really delicious. In this recipe I used bacon, scallions and spinach and a little nutritional yeast to give it a cheesy flavor without the dairy. This is the Instant Pot I have, and I love it! Instant Pot meals are delicious and I find very easy to digest. My favorite Instant Pot Cookbooks are by Coco Morante. She has three of them The Ultimate Instant Pot Cookbook, The Ultimate Instant Pot Healthy Cookbook, and The Essential Instant Pot Cookbook. Her recipes are all delicious and can be easily modified for nutritional needs! Here’s my recipe for Egg Bites in the Instant Pot!

Instant Pot Egg Bites

Ingredients:

4 Eggs

1/4 Cup of Scallions, sliced

1/4 Cup of Cooked Spinach, cooled and chopped

2 Slices of Cooked Bacon

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Coconut Milk or other non-dairy milk

2 Teaspoons of Nutritional Yeast

1/4 Teaspoon of Salt

1/4 Teaspoon of Pepper

Ghee or Coconut Oil for greasing the Egg Cups. You can also use a non stick cooking spray.

Directions:

In a 4 cup glass measuring cup with a pour spout, whisk together your eggs, olive oil, coconut milk, salt and pepper. Whisk in the nutritional yeast thoroughly. Then, stir in the bacon, scallions and chopped spinach.

Grease your egg cups with a little ghee. Pour the egg mixture evenly into each of the egg cups. They will be about 3/4 full. Place the lid on the egg bites pan. Pour a cup of water into your instant pot. Then, place the egg bites pan on the wire steam rack and carefully lower it into your instant pot.

Secure the lid on the instant pot, and set the steam valve to seal. Select Manual on your Instant Pot and adjust the time to ten minutes. It will take a few minutes to come up to pressure before the cooking time begins. After the cooking time ends, let the pressure come down for 5 minutes before releasing the pressure valve. Remove the lid and pull out your egg bites pan with heat safe mitts. Take off the lid of the egg bites pan and invert the pan onto a plate. Pop out the egg bites by pressing on the bottom of each mold. They are so yummy and kid friendly! Enjoy!

Celeriac Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Side Dish

I simply can’t get enough of this side dish! It is my new favorite potato replacement, but really in is unfair to Celeriac to call it a substitute for potato, like it is second best. Celeriac is an under appreciated root vegetable. Maybe because in it’s unpeeled state, it is unattractive (sorry celeriac).

Celeriac, Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Side Dish

However, the inside of the celeriac is a beautiful creamy white, and it loves to soak up flavor! In addition, it offers those who partake of it a nice dose of Vitamins C, K, B6, Phosphorous, Potassium, Magnesium, Manganese and Fiber.

You can make this side in under 30 minutes on the stove top. Let’s go!

Celeriac Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Side Dish

Ingredients:

2 Medium Celeriac Root (peeled and cubed into about 1 inch dice)

1/2 Cup Chicken Broth

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Oil Packed Sun Dried Tomatoes (finely minced)

2 Tablespoons of Fresh Basil, sliced

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Directions: With a large heavy fry pan on the stove top, add your olive oil and warm over medium high heat. Add the cubed celeriac, and sprinkle with salt. Cook the cubes until just starting to brown, which will take approximately 2 minutes, turning once or twice. Add the broth and minced sun dried tomatoes. Cover the pan, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer covered for 20 minutes, until the celeriac is fork tender, but not falling apart. Remove lid and cook until the liquid is mostly evaporated, and there is just enough left to make a nice sauce. Sprinkle the celeriac with sliced fresh basil. Toss to incorporate the basil and serve!

Celeriac, Sun Dried Tomato and Basil

Eat Your Nutrients!

Beef Paprikash on Spaghetti Squash Noodles with Sliced Avocado

If you are looking for a hearty meal to put on the table that you don’t have to slave over, is inexpensive, and lower carbohydrate, try a plate of Beef Paprikash! The Spaghetti Squash noodles are low carb. and hold all the juices, and the avocado goes well with the spicy beef sauce. It is delish!

This recipe uses a slow cooker, so it can be prepped the day before or in the morning, and then you can walk away until it is time to eat. I added some smoked paprika to the beef sauce to give it a smokey flavor that veers slightly away from the traditional recipe, and it is dairy free! It is the perfect cool weather meal that will leave you satisfied and nourished without adding to your waistline.

Beef Paprikash on Spagehtti Squash Noodles with Avocado

Beef Paprikash on Spaghetti Squash Noodles with Sliced Avocado

Ingredients:

1 Two Pound Chuck Roast

2 Tablespoons of Tapioca Flour*

1 1/2 Teaspoon of Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

2 Teaspoons of Black Pepper

2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

———————————————–

1 Large Yellow Onion

2 Red Bell Peppers, Large Diced

4 Cloves of Minced Garlic (or 2 Tablespoons of Garlic Infused Olive Oil if you are eating Low FodMap)

1 Cup of Beef Broth

1/4 Cup Tomato Paste

1 Tablespoon of Paprika

1 Tablespoon of Smoked Paprika

1 1/2 Teaspoons of Caraway Seeds, crushed

1 Teaspoon of Dried Parsley

1 Teaspoon of Dried Dill

1 Teaspoon of Fish Sauce

1/2 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk, added before serving

——————————————————–

1 Medium Spaghetti Squash

2 Ripe Avocados*

Beef Paprikash on Spaghetti Squash Noodles with Avocado

Directions: With paper towel, pat the chuck roast dry. Mix the Tapioca Flour, Salt and Pepper together with a whisk, and season the Chuck Roast. In a large heavy pan over medium high heat, add your olive oil, and brown the chuck roast for 5 minutes and then flip it over and brown it on the other side for 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the onion and place it in the bottom of a large slow cooker. Whisk together the spices, tomato paste, broth, garlic, and fish sauce. When beef is browned, place it on top of the sliced onions in the crockpot. Pour the sauce over the top. Cook on low covered for 8 hours in the crockpot. Remove the Beef from the crockpot after 8 hours and shred it with two forks. Add it back to the sauce and stir in 1/2 cup coconut milk right before serving.

For the “noodles”, one hour before serving, preheat your oven to 375º degrees. Slice a medium sized spaghetti squash in half, and remove the seeds. Season the inside with salt and pepper. Place in a baking pan cut side down with 1/2 cup of water. Bake for one hour. Right before serving, remove from the oven, and cool for about ten minutes so it is easy to handle. (It should pierce easily with a knife.) Flip the squash over and run a fork along the inside of the squash, making noodles.

Slice two ripe avocados to serve with the dish.

Serve the saucy Beef Paprikash over the “noodles” and place the avocado on the side like the picture above.

Beef Paprikash on Spagehtti Squash Noodles

Beef Paprikash on Spaghetti Squash Noodles

*Omit if you are eating Low FodMap

Eat Your Nutrients!

A Must Listen If You Are Struggling with SIBO, Candida or Digestive Problems

Chris Kresser, M.S., L.Ac really knows his stuff when dealing with healing digestion. He is a globally recognized leader in the fields of ancestral health, Paleo nutrition, and functional and integrative medicine. In his latest podcast he addresses how diet alone is not enough when trying to treat SIBO and Candida.

As you may know, I used antibiotics in conjunction with diet to rid myself of SIBO under the guidance of a naturopathic physician. I started this blog to empower myself and others to take charge of their digestion and regain vibrant health all while eating delicious food! Chris discusses FodMaps, SCD Diet, GAPS diet, Candida Diet, benefits of resistant starch, and going too low carb in this 30 minute must listen to podcast. You can find it here.