We almost never buy salad dressing anymore, because it is so easy to make our own and it ensures that there isn't any sugar or preservatives added. This is one of my favorites! You don't have to use a Vitamix or blender. A shaker cup will do fine, but the blender emulsifies the dressing to give a creamy delicious texture!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 t sea salt or 1/2 t Himalayan salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t Italian spices (basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary etc.)
1-2 whole cloves garlic, pressed if not using blender (optional)
2 t organic dijon mustard (optional)
Directions:
Put all ingredients in Vitamix. Slowly turn up the speed until 10 on low. Mixture will turn a creamy yellow.
Alternatively, you may mix in a mason jar or shaker cup.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Bacon Wrapped Pecan stuffed Dates
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Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) box pitted dates
30 pecan halves
10 to 12 slices bacon (you will have to look carefully because most bacon contains sugar...I have found one brand locally that doesn't contain any sugar)
Directions:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Stuff each date with a pecan half. Cut each slice of bacon into 3 pieces. Wrap 1 piece around each stuffed date, place seam side down on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until bacon is crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and serve.
Stuff each date with a pecan half. Cut each slice of bacon into 3 pieces. Wrap 1 piece around each stuffed date, place seam side down on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until bacon is crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and serve.
Coconut Flour Banana bread
This recipe is so incredibly easy and delicious! It is definitely one of our favorite breakfast "breads" or afternoon treats!
Ingredients:
3 medium-sized ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 large eggs
1 T pure vanilla extract
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup plus 2 T coconut flour (I use THIS brand)
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray or brush with coconut oil. You may also use muffin paper, but I recommend even spraying the paper, as it will stick like crazy otherwise! If using a loaf pan, line the bottom with a rectangular piece of parchment paper. Blend bananas, eggs, vanilla, baking soda and salt in your high powered blender (I use my Vitamix). After all is blended thoroughly, add the coconut flour until completely incorporated. It will thicken quickly. Stir in nuts if desired. Pour immediately into pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until lightly browned and a clean toothpick test (The "cake" will be moist, but should not stick to the toothpick).
*original recipe discovered at Comfybelly.com
Ingredients:
3 medium-sized ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 large eggs
1 T pure vanilla extract
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup plus 2 T coconut flour (I use THIS brand)
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray or brush with coconut oil. You may also use muffin paper, but I recommend even spraying the paper, as it will stick like crazy otherwise! If using a loaf pan, line the bottom with a rectangular piece of parchment paper. Blend bananas, eggs, vanilla, baking soda and salt in your high powered blender (I use my Vitamix). After all is blended thoroughly, add the coconut flour until completely incorporated. It will thicken quickly. Stir in nuts if desired. Pour immediately into pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until lightly browned and a clean toothpick test (The "cake" will be moist, but should not stick to the toothpick).
*original recipe discovered at Comfybelly.com
Homemade Mayo
I really like mayonnaise, but I really don't like all the extra unneccesary ingredients in it. Also, the organic mayo that you can buy in the store is usually quite expensive. So, to combat those issues...I made my own!
Ingredients:
1 cup of light olive oil, divided (I used 1/4 evoo, and 3/4 light olive oil)
1 organic free range egg
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Place the egg, 1/4 cup of olive oil, mustard powder, and salt in a mixing bowl, blender, or food processor. Mix thoroughly.
While the food processor or blender is running (or while mixing in a bowl with a stick blender), slowly drizzle in the remaining 3/4 cup of olive oil.
After you’ve added all the oil and the mixture has emulsified, add lemon juice and the vinegar to taste, stirring gently with a spoon to incorporate.
*Recipe adapted from www.whole30.com
See more at: http://whole30.com/2014/05/mayo/#sthash.G3cdEmwM.dpuf
Ingredients:
1 cup of light olive oil, divided (I used 1/4 evoo, and 3/4 light olive oil)
1 organic free range egg
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Place the egg, 1/4 cup of olive oil, mustard powder, and salt in a mixing bowl, blender, or food processor. Mix thoroughly.
While the food processor or blender is running (or while mixing in a bowl with a stick blender), slowly drizzle in the remaining 3/4 cup of olive oil.
After you’ve added all the oil and the mixture has emulsified, add lemon juice and the vinegar to taste, stirring gently with a spoon to incorporate.
*Recipe adapted from www.whole30.com
See more at: http://whole30.com/2014/05/mayo/#sthash.G3cdEmwM.dpuf
Fresh Basil Tomato Chicken
I was looking for a crockpot recipe to incorporate the ingredients in my cupboard, which were very limited. Online, I found a recipe for Italian chicken using spaghetti sauce, tomatoes and dry spaghetti sauce mix (in a packet). Well, since I didn't have any of those things I am trying my own little concoction. I'll report back this evening to give you the verdict!
Ingredients:
3-4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breast
1 28oz can organic diced tomatoes
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, torn
fresh ground pepper & sea salt to taste
1/2 - 1 pound cooked gluten free pasta or brown rice
1-3 crushed garlic cloves (optional)
Direcitons:
Place frozen chicken in the bottom of the crockpot.
Pour remaining ingredients on top.
Gently push basil down into tomatoes so it does not dry out during cooking time.
Cook on High for 6 hours or Low for 10 hours.
Serve over cooked gluten free pasta or rice.
THE VERDICT: A winner, my family said they REALLY liked it and that I can make it again! HOORAY!
Raw peach pie
Here is a "raw" peach pie, which simply means non of the ingredients were ever cooked in any way! Everyone that tasted this pie enjoyed it! I was truly surprised, as this whole "raw" thing is still very new to me. I would definitely make this again! It was terrific!!!
Crust:
1 3/4 cup raw almonds
pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
4-5 dried dates
2 T honey (optional)
1 T almond or coconut oil
Filling:
4 peaches
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 T unsweetened coconut flakes
4 dried dates
1 T honey (optional)
Directions:
Finely chop the almonds in a food processor or Vita-Mix.
Add the rest of the crust ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Spread the dough out evenly on the bottom of a pie dish.
Put 2 peaches in the food processor or Vita-Mix. When they are finely chopped, add the rest of the filling ingredients, EXCEPT for the last 2 peaches. Blend thoroughly, and remove from processor.
Slice the remaining 2 peaches and mix with filling mixture. Stir gently by hand.
Pour filling into pie dish.
Garnish with mint sprig if desired.
Recipe slightly adapted from: "Raw Food" by Erica Palmcrantz and Irmela Lilja
Homemade laminate floor cleaner
I don't like toxins, so I really don't like the chemicals in many store bought cleaners. However, I still have to keep my home clean, right? So, I prefer to know exactly what I am putting on my floor, in order that the children and pets in my home are not exposed to any more harsh cleansers than necessary. Also, did you know that the quality of the air in our homes can be worse than that of outdoor air? One of the contributing factors to our air quality is household products. So, with all of that said, after my husband installed some new flooring in our home, I decided to find a recipe for cleaning it without the harsh chemicals. The recipe is simple and was found on ehow.com
Ingredients:
1/3 c rubbing alcohol
1/3 c white vinegar
1/3 c water
Directions:
Mix together in a spray bottle. Squirt lightly onto the floors and wipe with a soft cloth. Make sure not to leave this or any other product on your floor for any length of time or you could damage your floors.
Cranberry quinoa
1 cups quinoa
1 cup dried natural cranberries no artificial sugar or regular sugar (or raisins)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or toasted halved almonds)
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cups chicken broth
dash salt
dash black pepper
Directions:
In a medium pot, combine quinoa, dried cranberries, onions, salt and pepper.
Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down heat to low and allow to sit, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa has absorbed all the broth.
Once broth has been absorbed, fluff with a fork. Sprinkle chopped walnuts over couscous. Serve immediately.
Coconut Curry Chicken
After searching around my pantry and searching the internet for a possible coconut curry chicken, I came up with a recipe that my husband proclaimed the best meal ever!
I am currently not eating gluten, dairy, or sugar...so this recipe had to fit that bill as well!...and it did! :)
Sorry I don't have a picture to post yet, but I'm sure I'll be making this again in the real near future and I'll get one then.
Ingredients *:
1 T coconut oil
1 large carrot, grated or use a peeler to make thin peels of carrot
1 medium onion, sliced in strips
1 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into matchstick sized strips
1 large garlic clove, crushed and chopped
1 pound chicken breast cutlets (basically one breast sliced in 3 thin pieces)
2 1/2 teaspoons curry
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1 can light or regular coconut milk
2 T tomato paste
Directions:
In large pan or wok, heat coconut oil on medium high and place each slice of chicken breast flat on pan, so you can slightly sear each side. (don't move the chicken around or you won't get a nice sear) Give each side 3-5 minutes, then flip. After the chicken is cooked through, juices running clear, remove from pan and set aside. Without cleaning out the pan, place carrot, onion and zucchini in hot pan. Stir them a bit and let them sit to get a little brown. They should still be tender crisp, just with a little color on them. While veggies are cooking, slice the chicken into strips, again matchstick size. Then, add chicken, garlic, curry, and garam masala. Stir to coat. Add tomato paste and stir to coat. Add can of coconut milk and mix thoroughly. The sauce will slightly thicken. Finally add salt to taste.
Either serve over quinoa or in lettuce wraps (I used butter lettuce).
*All of my ingredients are organic except for my spices, though I am trying to head in that direction.
I am currently not eating gluten, dairy, or sugar...so this recipe had to fit that bill as well!...and it did! :)
Sorry I don't have a picture to post yet, but I'm sure I'll be making this again in the real near future and I'll get one then.
Ingredients *:
1 T coconut oil
1 large carrot, grated or use a peeler to make thin peels of carrot
1 medium onion, sliced in strips
1 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into matchstick sized strips
1 large garlic clove, crushed and chopped
1 pound chicken breast cutlets (basically one breast sliced in 3 thin pieces)
2 1/2 teaspoons curry
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1 can light or regular coconut milk
2 T tomato paste
Directions:
In large pan or wok, heat coconut oil on medium high and place each slice of chicken breast flat on pan, so you can slightly sear each side. (don't move the chicken around or you won't get a nice sear) Give each side 3-5 minutes, then flip. After the chicken is cooked through, juices running clear, remove from pan and set aside. Without cleaning out the pan, place carrot, onion and zucchini in hot pan. Stir them a bit and let them sit to get a little brown. They should still be tender crisp, just with a little color on them. While veggies are cooking, slice the chicken into strips, again matchstick size. Then, add chicken, garlic, curry, and garam masala. Stir to coat. Add tomato paste and stir to coat. Add can of coconut milk and mix thoroughly. The sauce will slightly thicken. Finally add salt to taste.
Either serve over quinoa or in lettuce wraps (I used butter lettuce).
*All of my ingredients are organic except for my spices, though I am trying to head in that direction.
Quinoa Pancakes
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Just made these this morning with some leftover quinoa from yesterday's breakfast. I was intending to eat them myself and save some for tomorrow. However, the kids (ages 8 and almost 6) asked to try them and they gobbled up all of my leftovers!!! I'd say these were a huge success!!! The original recipe came from fitsugar.com, expect it was not GF or dairy-free, so I made some changes and they were absolutely awesome. I am trying to avoid extra sugar too, so I did not put any syrup on my pancakes. The recipe made about 10, but I had 3 as my serving.
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked quinoa (my cooked quinoa was made with almond milk, ginger,clove, cinnamon and nutmeg)
3/4 cup GF all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 large egg plus 1 large egg white
1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
1/4 cup Unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons pure grade B maple syrup plus more for serving (optional)
Fresh fruit for topping
1 cup cooked quinoa (my cooked quinoa was made with almond milk, ginger,clove, cinnamon and nutmeg)
3/4 cup GF all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 large egg plus 1 large egg white
1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
1/4 cup Unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons pure grade B maple syrup plus more for serving (optional)
Fresh fruit for topping
Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together quinoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg white, coconut oil, almond milk, and syrup until smooth. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and whisk to combine. (some coconut oil lumps may remain)
Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with butter and heat over medium-high. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on top, 2 minutes.
Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside, 2 minutes. Wipe skillet clean and repeat with more melted butter and remaining batter (reduce heat to medium if overbrowning). Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit or preserves if desired.
In a medium bowl, whisk together quinoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg white, coconut oil, almond milk, and syrup until smooth. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and whisk to combine. (some coconut oil lumps may remain)
Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with butter and heat over medium-high. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on top, 2 minutes.
Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside, 2 minutes. Wipe skillet clean and repeat with more melted butter and remaining batter (reduce heat to medium if overbrowning). Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit or preserves if desired.
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