Tag Archives: Nightshade Free

Fresh Peach Salsa

This Salsa is light and refreshing, and no cook! I have been taking advantage of the bounty of fresh peaches to make this delightful salsa. It has the zip of red onion, the tartness of pineapple and lime, the juiciness of peaches (so, so good when in season), and the bite of some black pepper!

Fresh Peach Salsa So Fresh and Easy

This comes together in under ten minutes. What’s better than a fresh fruit salsa with no additives or preservatives. The color is gorgeous too!

Fresh Peach Salsa - Nightshade Free

If you are in the cilantro haters camp, substitute fresh parsley. I happen to love it, and it adds a nice salsa flavor, but parsley is good too.

Mixing Fresh Peach Salsa

Fresh Peach Salsa

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Fresh Pineapple, Diced

1 Fresh, Ripe Peach, Diced

1/4 Cup of Red Onion, Minced

2 Tablespoons of Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

1 Tablespoon of Fresh Lime Juice

2 Teaspoons of Runny Honey

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/8 Teaspoon of Black Pepper (Omit for AIP)

Directions:

Add the prepared pineapple, peach, onion and cilantro to a bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, honey, salt and pepper if using. Pour it over the salsa mixture and toss. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Fresh Peach Salsa Nightshade Free

Mermaid Vibes Salad

Mermaid Vibes Gluten Free Salad

Get your mermaid tail ready and dig into this Mermaid Vibes Salad, because Summer is almost here!

This light and seasonal salad will delight your inner mermaid and free spirit without weighing you down!

Mermaid Vibes Salad

Ingredients:

1 Head of Living Butter Lettuce

1 Carrot, Sliced on the diagonal with a Mandolin slicer or thinly sliced

1/2 an English Cucumber, Sliced on a diagonal with a Mandolin or thinly sliced

1/2 a Chioggia Beet, peeled and shaved with a Mandolin or very thinly sliced

Broccoli Sprouts

Watercress

Avocado, sliced

Brown Rice Wraps

Seaweed Salad (Purchased or Use My Recipe Below)

Mermaid Dressing (Recipe Below)

Directions:

Whisk up your Mermaid Dressing and set aside.

Cut the Brown Rice Wraps into sixths and toast the wedges in the oven at 350º degrees F. until just crisp.

Take your prepared salad ingredients and lay two handfuls of roughly torn butter lettuce in the bottom of your dish. Now, artfully arrange your toppings, and drizzle with Mermaid Dressing. Dig in! This is a highly nutritious, light, and absolutely delicious salad!

Mermaid Dressing

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of Full Fat Coconut Milk

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of White Balsamic Vinegar

1 Teaspoon of Raw Honey

1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Tumeric

1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1 Pinch of White Pepper

Directions: Whisk Thoroughly. Refrigerate.

Seaweed Salad

1/2 of a 1.76 oz. package of Wakame Seaweed (like this)

3 Tablespoons of Rice Vinegar

3 Tablespoons of Coconut Aminos

2 Teaspoons of Raw Runny Honey

1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil

1 Teaspoon of Freshly Grated Ginger Root

1/4 Cup of Finely Shredded Carrot

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

2 Scallions, Thinly Sliced

Directions: Briefly Rinse your Dried Wakame Seaweed. Then, soak it in a bowl of warm water for five minutes. While the seaweed is soaking, whisk together the rice vinegar, coconut aminos, honey, sesame oil, ginger root and salt. Stir in the carrots and scallions until blended. Pour over the seaweed and toss. Keep Refrigerated.

Mermaid Vibes Salad - For Your Inner Mermaid! Delicious Light Salad that is Gluten and Soy Free. Spa Quality and Healthy!

Chinese Chicken and Noodles with Bok Choy

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.

Chinese Chicken and Noodles with Bok Choy - Perfect for Chinese New Year - Paleo, AIP

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.

Chinese Chicken and Noodles with Bok Choy - AIP Paleo - Nightshade Free

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 - Gluten Free - AIP Paleo

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.

Ingredients for the Butternut Noodles:

1 Butternut Squash (Spiralized)

3 Cloves of Garlic (Omit for Low FodMap and Substitute Garlic Olive Oil for the Olive Oil)

3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Coconut Aminos

1 Tablespoon of Honey

1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

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.

Bok Choy on Sheet Pan

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!

Delicious Chinese Chicken Dinner that is Grain Free, Paleo and AIP. It is the perfect dinner when you have a Chinese Takeout Craving!

Paleo Pilgrim Burgers

Paleo Pilgrim Burger

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:

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

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!

Paleo Pilgrim Burger with Fresh Cranberry Sauce

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!

Mango Cashew Chicken Salad

Mango Cashew Chicken Dinner Salad

This salad is inspired by one of my favorite salads from Red Mesa Grill in Northern Michigan. I order it every year from their gluten free menu and it is so good, I decided to recreate it at home adding my own spin on it.

Mango Cashew Chicken Summer Salad

The salad has a delicious combination of sweet juicy mango, crunchy cashews, tart cranberries, onion and roasted chicken. The mango dressing is bursting with vitamin C. It is a perfect Summer main dish salad!

Mango Cashew Chicken Salad

Mango Cashew Chicken Salad

Begin with making a marinade for the chicken breasts:

Marinade:

1/4 Cup of Olive Oil

Zest and Juice of 1 Lime

2 Cloves of Smashed Garlic

2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Whisk the marinade together well. Add 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts to a gallon zip bag, and pour the marinade over the chicken. Seal the bag, and place it flat in the refrigerator for 3 hours, flipping once halfway through to ensure the chicken is evenly seasoned. You can refrigerate the chicken for up to 24 hours in the marinade.

Now prepare your salad dressing.

Mango Salad Dressing

Mango Salad Dressing:

Ingredients;

1 1/4 Cup of Ripe Mango, diced

1/4 Cup of Good Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

2 Tablespoons of Fresh Cilantro

2 Tablespoons of Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (I use this kind)

1 Green Onion, sliced

1 Teaspoon of fine Sea Salt (I like this brand)

Blend the mango and olive oil in a blender until completely smooth and creamy. Add the lime juice, salt and cider vinegar and blend to incorporate. Now, add the fresh scallion and cilantro, and pulse the blender just until you can see tiny bits of scallion and cilantro. You want to be able to see it and not completely incorporate it into the dressing.

Refrigerate the dressing. This will keep 3 days in the refrigerator.

Now to make the salad! 🙂

Mango Cashew Chicken Salad Prep

Mango Cashew Chicken Salad Ingredients:

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 – 5 oz. Container of Organic Baby Romaine, washed and spun dry

1/2 Head of Organic Iceberg Lettuce, washed, spun dry and torn into bite-sized pieces

1 Ripe Mango, Diced in to 1 inch pieces

1/2 Cup of Salted or Raw Cashews

1/4 Cup of Apple Juice Sweetened Dried Cranberries (I use this brand)

1/4 Cup of Green Onion, Sliced

1/4 Cup of Red Onion, Finely Diced

Additional Sea Salt for Sprinkling

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375° degrees. In a cast iron skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat on medium-high. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, and sprinkle them with additional sea salt, and add them to the pan. Brown the breasts two minutes per side, until golden brown, but not cooked through. Place the chicken on a baking sheet, and place them in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes or just until the chicken reaches 165° at the center. Remove the chicken from the oven, and set aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Mound the salad greens in a large bowl. Drizzle with a generous amount of Mango Salad Dressing. Sprinkle the mango, cashews, cranberries, green onion and red onion on top. Slice your cooked chicken breasts on a diagonal (they can still be warm) and arrange the breasts on the top of the salad. Sprinkle with some additional sea salt to taste.

Serve!

4 Large Dinner Sized Servings (1 Chicken Breast per person)

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole {Gluten Free – Paleo}

Casseroles became popular in the 1950’s, and although I wasn’t around then, they are still a very versatile and popular one dish meal worthy of the table today. I have created a healthy version of one of my favorites!

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole {Gluten Free – Paleo}

A good casserole should be moist, tasty and have all the components for a one dish meal. I have been making this casserole recently on a weekly basis. My kids love it! It is really, really good leftover, and great as a packed work lunch.

I used dried tarragon in the filling, which is so good with chicken! A good quality mayonnaise and eggs bind the filling together with the chicken and broccoli. I made coconut flour crepes to layer between the creamy chicken filling. I have made the casserole and baked it right away, and I have also assembled it and refrigerated it for up to a day before baking.

If you like the idea of batch cooking, their are options for cooking the chicken! I like to cook two whole chickens and use one for dinner one night, and shred or chop the other one to use in this casserole. If you use all chicken breasts, the same theory saves time! When you roast the breasts, I highly recommend bone-in, skin on for the moistest chicken breast!

Let’s make a piping hot casserole!

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole {Gluten Free – Paleo}

Ingredients:

4 Cups of Cooked, Diced Chicken

3 Cups of Steamed Broccoli (chopped)

1 1/4 Cups of Good Mayo (I use Primal Kitchen Mayo, it is so good and healthy – here)

3/4 Cup of Full Fat Coconut Milk (my favorite additive-free brand)

2 Eggs

1 Teaspoon of Dried Tarragon

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink

1/2 Teaspoon of Onion Powder

For the filling, whisk together the Mayonnaise, Coconut Milk, Eggs, Tarragon, Salt and Onion Powder. Add in the cooled chopped chicken and chopped broccoli. Place in the refrigerator while you make the crepes.

Crepes

1 Cup of Full Fat Coconut Milk

8 Eggs

1/4 Cup of Coconut Flour

2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice (I like fresh squeezed)

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Topping

1/2 Cup of Chopped Red Onion

1/2 Cup of Sliced Green Onion

Directions: Preheat a large non-stick electric griddle to 350º degrees. (A stove top non-stick pan will work too, just make sure your heat is set at medium). Whisk together the crepe ingredients. Whisk until there are no lumps! This is a good time to develop those arm muscles! Let the batter sit for 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Using a 1/4 cup measuring scoop, ladle the batter onto your preheated griddle, and cook until very lightly brown, flip and repeat, just like a pancake. You should have about eight crepes. Cool them on a wire rack. Then, cut them into 1 inch strips.

Preheat your oven to 350º degrees. Grease a 14″ x 10″ casserole with olive oil (size is approximate). Line the bottom of the casserole with 1/2 of the crepe strips. You will not have the bottom perfectly covered, and it is okay. Add the chicken and broccoli filling. Spread the filling evenly. Top with the remaining crepe strips. With a pastry brush, lightly brush on additional olive oil, just onto the strips. Sprinkle with diced red onion and sliced scallions.

Bake for 30 minutes in your preheated oven. Remove the casserole from the oven and cool ten minutes before digging in. Enjoy!

*This casserole can be easily modified to Low FodMap by omitting the red onion and onion powder. Just add more scallions. It is delicious that way as well.

Healthy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole {Gluten Free – Paleo}

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chicken and broccoli casserole. this casserole is a creamy, grain free, hot casseerole you can assemble in advance and bake later.

Eat Your Nutrients!

Versatile Eat Your Veggies NoMato Sauce

This sauce is the bomb! My twenty year old son, Jeffrey, has a hard time eating vegetables, and he didn’t even know the amount of vegetables he was consuming when I used this sauce instead of tomato sauce in my Bolognese recipe last week. In fact, all four of the other family members sat down to dinner and inhaled the sauce.

Eat Your Veggies Tomato Sauce Collage

If you are eating nightshade free and miss tomatoes, this is a very versatile tomato sauce that tastes exactly like tomato sauce with a lovely full bodied consistency, but a little thicker. So, it could be used as a tomato paste substitute, or thinned down with extra broth. If tomatoes aren’t a problem for you, this is a way to get more vegetables into your meals with ease and a flavor punch.

Versatile Eat Your Veggies “Tomato” Sauce

The total time to make this sauce is about an hour and a half. It makes 3 1/2 cups. I like to jar the sauce in one cup containers and freeze what I am not using for later convenience. Doubling the recipe takes very little extra time, and gives you more to freeze for later.

Use this sauce straight from the jar, or use it in your favorite tomato sauce recipes measure for measure. I currently have on my list of recipes to develop with this sauce, pizza and enchiladas! The sky is the limit! Here’s the recipe:

Versatile Eat Your Veggies “Tomato” Sauce

Ingredients:

2 Cups Carrots, Peeled and Chopped

1/2 Cup Shallots, Peeled and Sliced

1 1/4 Cups Red Beets, Peeled and Diced

1 1/2 Cups Red Onion, Peeled and Diced

1/2 Cup Celery, Chopped

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

2 Cups Broth (Chicken, Bone Broth or Vegetable Broth)

1/2 Cup Aged Balsamic (I love this 18 Year Old, No Sugar Added, High Quality Balsamic)

1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of Anchovies (Umami Guys! Don’t skip it!)

1 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Teaspoon Onion Powder

1 Teaspoon Turmeric

1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley

1 Teaspoon Dried Basil

1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Mace

1 Bay Leaf

Directions: Place 1/4 Cup of olive oil in a heavy stock pot over medium high heat. Add the Anchovy, and stir until it almost melts into the oil. Add the prepared vegetables, and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, mix all the herbs, mace and salt together in a small bowl. After the vegetables have cooked for five minutes, add the seasoning, and stir for one minute. Add the broth, bay leaf and balsamic. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.

Remove bay leaf. Add all the ingredients to a high speed immersion blender, and blend until very smooth.

Place the sauce in jars and use within three days in the refrigerator, or freeze for later.

I would love to hear how you are using this sauce in your recipes! Stay tuned for more recipes with this sauce coming soon!

Eat Your Nutrients!