Tag Archives: Vegetarian

Quick Sauteed Beet Greens and Pecans

There is an abundance of fresh greens available during the growing season. Have you ever tried beet greens? They have a mild, appealing taste, and I like to mix it up to get in as many nutrients as I can.

Beet greens add variety to your diet, and are quite tasty, not to mention they have more minerals, vitamins and antioxidants than the root. The greens are best when they are young and tender. I found a bunch of golden beets recently at the local farm market, and the greens were glorious! Check out the second photo below! It was such a great find to be able to eat the whole vegetable, tops and all!

Here is an easy way to cook them up quickly and deliciously!

Quick Sauteed Beet Greens and Pecans

Fresh Golden Beets with Green Tops

Quick Sauteed Beet Greens with Pecans

Ingredients:

6 Cups Fresh Beet Greens, washed and coarsely chopped

2 Tablespoons of Garlic Olive Oil (or 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil and 1 Tsp. Fresh minced garlic)

2 Tablespoons of Coarsely Chopped Raw Pecans

1 Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes

Salt (your favorite to taste)

Black Pepper (to taste)

Directions:

In a large sautee pan on the stove top. Pour in the oil and heat over medium high heat. Add the garlic if using and red pepper flakes, cook briefly, about 30 seconds. Add the beet greens and toss until wilted and tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the pecans.

This is an easy and delicious side!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Avocado Fries with Dairy Free Ranch Dip

Am I the only one who could eat a whole avocado at once? They are so creamy and delicious! Did you know that the fat in Avocados helps you absorb nutrients in carotenoid containing raw vegetables like carrots and leafy greens (and other red, green & orange vegetables) and converts it into Vitamin A? This is true of other fats as well and is just one of the reasons a low fat salad dressing is such a bad idea. Fat helps you access the nutrients in vegetables!

Avocado also contains fiber and other vitamins and minerals, and the fat keeps you full. I like the glow factor of eating avocados. They are good for your skin! You don’t have to eat a whole avocado at once to get the benefits. These avocado fries are a delicious side at a cookout, and also a very fun appetizer!

Serve them with carrots and my Won’t Miss a Think Dairy Free Ranch Recipe!

Avocado Fries with Dairy Free Ranch Dip

Preheat your oven broiler and place the rack on the second level from the top. Lay out a parchment lined baking sheet.

Ingredients:

2 Avocados that are ripe but not mushy

1/2 Cup Superfine Almond Flour

1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

Directions:

Wash your avocados and cut them in half removing the pit and then slicing them into six slices each, so three slices per half. You will have a total of 12 wedges.

In a shallow bowl, add your Apple Cider Vinegar and coat your Avocado Fries with the vinegar.

In a separate bowl whisk together the almond flour and salt. Dip each avocado slice in the crumb mixture, coating all sides, and place on the baking sheet.

Broil the avocado fries approximately 3 minutes on one side, then remove from the oven and turn, return to the broiler for an additional 3 minutes until golden. Sprinkle with a little additional salt if desired. I like a coarse finishing salt.

Serve with my SCD Low FodMap Ranch here.

Check out more free Health & Wellness Tips on my Facebook page here!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Blueberry Blast Smoothie

blueberry blast smoothie

Are you a fan of healthy smoothies like me? I love all the blended nutrition you can get in a smoothie, and how they are so easy to digest. I am especially a fan of really cold ones. The coolness of the smoothie gives me a sense of well being. A warm beverage can do the same thing depending on the season, time of day, if I just worked out or was romping around the yard with Ming and the girls. My favorite smoothies are ones that get their sweetness from whole fruit and no added sugar like this Blueberry Blast Nut Smoothie. It is simple to make and can be enjoyed any time you get a craving. This delicious smoothie takes only minutes to whip together, and contains good fat from Coconut Milk and a Nut Butter of your choice, as well as Blueberries and Melon for Vitamin C, Antioxidants and Phytonutrients. There is the option for add ins for more health benefits!

For more health and wellness tips, you can go to my new Sandra Shields, Certified Health Coach Facebook page here and like it to follow me. I post new content there throughout the week! Thank you to all my followers for your support! I love you guys!

Blueberry Blast Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 Banana

1 Cup Wild Blueberries

1 Cup Honeydew Melon, Chopped

1/2 Cup Coconut or Almond Milk

1 Tablespoon of Nut Butter (Almond, Walnut, Cashew)

1 Cup Crushed Ice

Blend in a blender on high until smooth.

Serves 1 – 2

Optional add ins: Bee Pollen, 2 Tablespoons of Grass Fed Gelatin, 1 Tablespoon Ground Flax

Eat Your Nutrients!

Spiralized Golden Beet Salad

I am in love with spiralized vegetables! It changes the texture and whole experience of eating them. The noodles or spirals coming out of the spiralizer as you turn the handle are gorgeous and abundant! Recently, I spiralized golden beets and then wondered, what should I do different with these gorgeous spun gold noodles? I decided to lightly steam them and serve them as a chilled beet salad. I wanted crunch, flavor and eye appeal. I also wanted to keep the ingredients simple. The results were a salad with almonds for crunch, scallions and avocado oil.

I tend to spiralize several things at once and then store them in the refrigerator until I want to use them, so I only have to clean up the spiralizer once. These beets were ready a day in advance, and the actual preparation time the day of was about 20 minutes.

Spiralized Golden Beet Salad

Ingredients:

2 Medium Golden Beets, washed, peeled and spiralized

1/2 Cup Scallions, sliced, green parts only for Low FodMap

1/3 Cup Slivered Almonds

3 Tablespoons Avocado Oil

2 Teaspoons White Wine Vinegar

1/2 Teaspoon of Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt (to Taste)

1/4 Teaspoon of Black Pepper or to Taste

Directions: Place a few inches of water in the bottom of a pan with a steamer insert and bring to a boil. Add the beets and steam five minutes, just till tender…think al dente. Remove from the steamer and run under very cold water to cool quickly and prevent further cooking. Drain the beets well. Add to a bowl and toss with the remaining salad ingredients. Serve, or refrigerate to chill more and let the flavors meld.

Everything contained in this salad is not only delicious, but offers health benefits. Beets are rich in nutrients, fiber, detoxify and contain phytonutrients. Scallions are great for immune system health and contain Vitamin K for bones and Vitamin A for the eyes. Almonds contain fiber, protein and good fat as well as the good fat in the avocado oil, which is delicious!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Simple Oven Roasted Butternut Squash

I was at the grocery store last week buying butternut squash, and the checkout clerk held up my squash, squished up her nose in curiosity and asked, “What do you do with these? I see people buying them, but how do you eat them?” I asked her if she had ever had butternut squash? She said, no she was Italian and was familiar with zucchini, but not butternut squash. I was so excited to share with her my favorite way to prepare it…..oven roasted. Simple is often extraordinary! It is delicious, caramelized, sweet and nutty when oven roasted. I so wanted to invite her into my kitchen and give her a demonstration so she could taste it for herself! So, that has motivated me to do a series of simple vegetable dishes that are delicious and nourishing.

Butternut squash, referred to sometimes as Butternut Pumpkin in Australia and New Zealand, is full of health benefits including a good amount of beta-carotene which our bodies convert to Vitamin A, Potassium for our bone health, Vitamin C, Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin B6, Fiber and some good Carbohydrates (5% in a cup) in addition to Carotenoids, which are naturally occurring pigments thought to be preventative against cancer and macular degeneration.

Here is a simple and delicious way to prepare it!

Simple Oven Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

1 Medium Butternut Squash

2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

2 Teaspoons Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400º degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash and peel the squash. I use a vegetable peeler. It works beautifully! Slice the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. It will look like this:

Peeled and Seeded Butternut Squash

Cube the Squash into 2 inch cubes and place on your rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle it with the salt and pepper.

Cubed Butternut Squash

Melt the coconut oil, and pour it over the cubed squash. Toss with your hands until well coated. Spread the squash out in a single layer on the cookie sheet, and place it in the oven. Roast a total of 50 minutes to an hour until it is starting to caramelize, tossing with a spatula every twenty minutes. There you have it! Utterly delicious, and you are Eating Your Nutrients in a very yummy fashion!

*If you are eating Low FodMap a serving is 1/4 Cup at a time.

Eat Your Nutrients!

Smokey Tomatoes Gratin (Grain-Free)

Smokey Tomatoes Gratin is a quick and elegant way to eat tomatoes. They are high in water content and fiber, and vegetables like tomatoes can help with hydration and regularity. The concept of crowding out means you don’t have to feel deprived or hungry. The more health giving foods you add to your diet, the less room you will have for other less nutritious choices, and the less you will want them. Adding in more vegetables is a great way to start crowding out. It can make a huge difference in your health without missing anything or being hungry. Make a commitment to eat two more vegetables a day for the next month and see if you notice a difference. Pick one that is green and another colorful one such as tomatoes. See how you feel and let me know. Did you notice you lost weight, had more energy, clearer skin, better elimination? There are many benefits to eating lots of vegetables, and those are just a few. The long term effects of all the nutrients you are putting in your body will increase longevity, vitality, and make a huge improvement in your immunity. Make sure to take a look at the Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen list when purchasing produce, here is a free 2015 printable list you can take with you from Environmental Working Group, and enjoy this beautiful, healthy Smokey Tomato Gratin recipe to kick it off!

Smokey Tomatoes Gratin (Grain-Free)

Ingredients:

4 Organic Medium Tomatoes, washed and halved crosswise

6 Tablespoons Blanched Almond Flour

1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Flaky Salt such as Fleur De Sel

Smokey Tomatoes Gratin Ready to Broil

Directions:

Preheat your oven broiler and place the rack about 1/3 down from the top broiler.

Place Tomato halves on a cookie sheet. Mix together the almond flour, smoked paprika, black pepper, and Himalayan Pink Salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gratin over the tomatoes evenly. Sprinkle with dried parsley. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil. Broil in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, keeping a close eye on them, until the tops are golden brown.

Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve.

Eat Your Nutrients!

Cheesy Kale Chips

Are you a kale lover? Yeah, yeah, you have heard about all the benefits of eating kale, but you just don’t like it that much? Well, have you tried kale chips? It is the best way to initiate anyone into eating kale. Kale chips made in a food dehydrator are addicting! Just like a potato chip, but hey they are good for you! Here is a second variation of kale chips if you like variety, like I do! The Pizza Kale Chip recipe can be found here. Although my daughter’s like them both, they each have a favorite. Skyli’s favorite is the Cheesy Kale Chips and Jessica’s the Pizza Kale Chips. Try them both, they are so good!

Kale has many health benefits, including fiber, B vitamins, vitamin A, K, C, Calcium, Copper, Potassium and Magnesium. I have been getting a lot of leafy greens in my diet lately and feel amazing! Fat helps digest and access the nutrients in greens, and the pine nuts and pumpkin seeds that give these chips a cheesy flavor, also add fat to the chips, as well as the walnuts, so you can absorb the nutrients!

Here’s the recipe!

Cheesy Kale Chips

Ingredients:

2 Large Bunches of Curly Kale

1 Cup Pine Nuts

1/2 Cup Raw Pumpkin Seeds (I used sprouted)

1/2 Cup Raw Walnuts

2 Red Bell Peppers, Seeded

1/2 Cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons Honey

2 Scallions, green parts only

1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

Directions:

Taking your thumb and index finger along the spine of the kale leaves, strip the leaves in one swipe from it’s rib or stalk. Thoroughly wash the kale leaves under cool water. Lay out on paper towel in one layer to dry completely, 30 minutes to an hour. I like to use a salad spinner first to get most of the moisture off. It is important the kale is thoroughly dry if you want crunchy chips!

Meanwhile, make the “cheesy” seasoning. In a high speed blender, like a Vitamix, blend all the remaining ingredients to make the pizza sauce. In a very large bowl, place your dried kale and pour the sauce on top. Get your hands in there and thoroughly mix and coat the kale leaves.

Place on six teflon lined dehydrator trays and place in your food dehydrator at 118º degrees for 10 to 16 hours until very crisp.

In the dehydrator, they get crunchy like potato chips and stay that way! If you don’t have a dehydrator, and would like to own one, I highly recommend this one! I have two of them, and they come in handy for a lot of food, including fruit rollups……see the recipe for delicious Banana Coconut Leather here.

Enjoy getting your nutrients!

8 Servings

Eat Your Nutrients!

Blackberry Phyto Blast Salad with Blueberry Berrylicious Dressing

Are you ready for a delicious, phytonutrient loaded salad? This one has fruits, nuts, pomegranate seeds and living butter lettuce to give you a blast of them! It also is candy for the eyes, and it is well know we eat with all of our senses! Phytonutrients are so unbelievably important for our bodies, our cells, and for cancer prevention. A variety in the diet boosts their effectiveness and creates nutrient synergy. They give our bodies the tools it needs to enable it to heal and maintain vitality. Greens, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, green tea…….there are plenty to choose from, and variety is possible no matter if you are eating Paleo, SCD, Vegetarian, Mediterranean, or just seeking nutrients, you get the idea. Here is a handy chart of some of the most common foods containing phytonutrients to get you started, but there are thousands and more being discovered. If you would like additional information about phytonutrients, here is an article from Gaiam Life and one from Dr. Fuhrman entitled Nutrient Density and Phytochemical-rich foods.

Phyto Blast Salad with Blueberry Dressing

Blackberry Phyto Blast Salad with Blueberry Berrylicious Dressing

The Blueberry Berrylicious Salad Dressing gets its fat from nuts and seeds.

Berrylicious Salad Dressing

Blackberry Phyto Blast Salad with Blueberry Berrylicious Dressing

Ingredients for Salad:

2 Heads of Living Butter Lettuce

1 Cup of Fresh Orange Segments, halved or 1 can of Native Forest Mandarin Oranges in their own juice

1 Pint Fresh Organic Blackberries

1/4 Cup Pomagranite Seeds

1/2 Cup Raw Pecans

1/2 Cup Raw Walnut Halves

Directions: Tear the butter lettuce into bite sized pieces and scatter berries, fruit, pomegranate seeds and nuts on top.

Blueberry Berrylicious Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups Fresh or Frozen Blueberries (if frozen defrost them in the microwave)

1/4 Cup Pine Nuts

2 Tablespoons Tahini (pure no sugar added)

1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice (2 lemons)

2 Tablespoons Dried Currants

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions: Place all the dressing ingredients in a high speed blender, and blend until smooth. This dressing thickens when refrigerated, so when using for a second day, zap for a few seconds in the microwave or let it come to room temperature for looser consistency. It is rich in nutrients and good fat.

*If you are beginning a Low FodMap diet, I recommend you substitute the blackberries for raspberries, strawberries or blueberries. You still get your phyto blast of berries!