Recipe: Crock Pot Chicken (sans-tortilla) soup

I've been pretty obsessed with my crock pot lately, now that it is finally a little bit colder at night, soups and chilis sound more and more appetizing after a long day of work and working out.

Yesterday I was inspired by a paleo recipe and decided to try a little something of my own in the crock pot. It's a lot like chicken tortilla soup, without the tortillas. It was really good! Dave loved it and ate two large bowls.

Ingredients:

3-4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 cups chicken broth
3 sweet potatoes (about 3 cups cubed)
3-4 large carrots (about 2 cups cubed)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups arugula or spinach (I used arugula and the peppery flavor was quite good!)
1 jar of fresh salsa (I used mild salsa by 365 from Whole Foods)
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp onion powder
2 teaspoons lime juice
zest of 1 lime (the leftover lime from the juice works great)

Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro & avocado slices

Step 1. In a large crockpot bowl, add the chicken, chicken broth, salsa, garlic, lime juice, lime zest, onion powder and salt. Set on low for about 8 hours.
Step 2. After 8 hours, add the cubed sweet potatoes & carrots, making sure they are still submerged in the broth. Set the crock pot on high and leave for another hour.
   *** Side Note: You can probably chop up the sweet potatoes and carrots and put it in with the first step ingredients. I just didn't have time in the morning and had to quickly do it in between getting off work at 5:00 and making it to boot camp at 6:00. I'm sure cooking them all day does wonders to the veggie flavor.
Step 3. Once everything is cooked, scoop out about 2-3 cups worth of vegetables and broth and place in a blender for about 15 seconds. Make sure the chicken stays at the bottom of the crock pot so it doesn't make it into the blender. With two large forks, start shredding the chicken in the crock pot by pulling the forks away from each other. Once the chicken is fully shredded, add the blended mixture back in, along with the arugula. Once the arugula has cooked down (this took all of 2 minutes in my crock pot) the soup is ready to serve.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and avocado slices. SO DELICIOUS.

Paleo cookies

My bible in the kitchen is Against All Grain by Danielle Walker. Whenever I am needing a little creativity in the kitchen, I turn to her book for guidance. Lately I have been marking a lot of pages in her book of recipes to try (and possibly modify for myself) and last night I tried this recipe. I've been jonesin' for cookies lately (of the cinnamon oatmeal raisin variety) and this one was a pretty close substitute, but way healthier.

I didn't have ALL of the right ingredients (surprise surprise) but I was pretty darn close to having them. I substituted dried cranberries instead of raisins, and added pepitas to the mix for an added crunch.

Here are the ingredients I used:

2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp palm shortening
3 dates, pitted
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (I like a stronger vanilla flavor)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (I used this much because my dough didn't seem thick enough)
2 tbsp chopped dried apricots
2 tbsp dried cranberries
2 tbsp pepitas

Aside from the ingredients I followed her recipe completely. I have a vitamix, and it was a little difficult to blend everything, so I think a food processor is the next item on my list of things to buy.

All in all, this recipe was pretty good. These cookies don't really have any allergens to them, and I believe they're even vegan. They taste a lot like banana bread and the coconut flour actually works in this recipe. You would never know there wasn't flour in these cookies.

Gluten free.
Grain free.
Dairy free.
Soy free.

I can dig it.

Recipe: Homemade Coconut Creamer for your Coffee!

One food I can NOT live or function without is coffee. Seriously.

Since about age 13 I have been an avid coffee drinker, and have tried every latte and coffee shop under the sun, and am always looking for delicious new places to try.

With this new healthy lifestyle I've acquired over the past couple years, I've made a conscious decision to give up dairy. With the exclusion of dairy from my diet, and what I believe to be a sensitivity to soy, my favorite coffee shops were dwindled down to a select few that had almond milk or coconut milk. (I'm still fully supporting the petition to get almond milk at Starbucks!) I also had a hard time finding good creamers I liked that were in fact GOOD for me and not packed with chemicals and artificial sweeteners.

So, with this predicament I decided to try making my own creamer out of canned coconut milk. After many many tries with different ingredients, I have a simple go-to recipe that really works and tastes great.

NOTE: This recipe can be altered in about a million different ways with spices and different sweetening agents like maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, etc.

Here is the recipe:

In a large mason jar or recycled glass bottle that pours well (I like using glass salad dressing bottles, they pour nicely into a mug) pour in the following:

1 can coconut milk (If calories and/or fat are something you're keeping an eye on, or you dont like your coffee too creamy, use LIGHT coconut milk)

1 tsp cinnamon

1-2 tsp vanilla extract (depending on how vanilla you want your creamer to be)

2 tbsp maple syrup (optional, and not pictured) - because I like my creamer on the sweet side.

Shake and mix well in the closed bottle, and bada-bing!
A nice little batch of coconut coffee creamer!

I really do love the simplicity of this dairy-free solution. A lot of my friends have told me about adding pumpkin purée to it to make a pumpkin spice creamer! YUM.

I also want to try some cacao and peppermint extract to see if I can make a good "Peppermint Mocha" creamer for the holidays!!

Paleo Sausage and Sweet Potato Quiche

I make it a point to eat breakfast every morning. It really is the most important meal of the day, and I try to make sure to eat something that is delicious and will last me through the entire morning. Eggs are usually on the menu, but I can only eat scrambled eggs with veggies for so long before I start to get bored.

Which leads me to the new successful recipe I just tried:

Sausage and Sweet Potato Quiche

Ingredients:

10 eggs
1 medium sweet potato / yam
1/2 lb breakfast sausage
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375˚
Peel the sweet potato and slice into thin round disks with a mandolin or sharp knife. Place the slices in a pie dish in concentric form around the bottom of the dish. Be sure to use all of the slices. Remove the sausage from the casings and crumble into small pieces and place them on top of the sweet potatoes. Chop the rosemary and sprinkle over the sausage and sweet potatoes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, salt and pepper.

Pour the eggs into the dish, pushing down any sausage pieces that may float up. Place dish in the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes or until the middle is solid. (Use the toothpick test to make sure)

Slice the quiche and voila! Breakfast for the week!! I love easy ideas like this that simplify my mornings.

Happy eating!

Chocolate banana smoothie

I'm not the biggest smoothie fan - especially when it comes to breakfast. BUT this morning, I found a blend of ingredients that works, and tastes like a milk shake - but it's all good ingredients. Now that's a smoothie I can get on board with.

Behold.... the chocolate coconut-banana smoothie

Ingredients:

1 banana
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut milk
   {FUN TIP: I freeze my canned coconut milk in ice trays,
    and add two cubes for a little chill factor}
8 oz almond milk
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup ice
1-2 tbsp almond butter (depending on how much nuttiness you like)

Blend in a blender until smooth.

Curry Chicken Salad Wraps

One of the biggest MUSTS when living healthy for me is bringing my lunch to work. It is very important to me to know exactly what is going in my food, and how much I am eating. More often than not I have a simple salad for lunch with spring mix, dried cranberries, almonds and chicken with some lemon juice and balsamic vinegar. But that can get really old really fast, and sometimes I just have to change it up.

One of my favorite change-ups is my curry chicken salad, wrapped in lettuce instead of bread. You can also throw this on top of mixed greens, but eating them like tacos makes it feel even more different from a salad.... remember, this is my change-up meal from salads ;)

This lovely little lunch is packed with flavor, and almost feels like a cheat meal... but there really isn't anything bad in here.

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts (depending on size)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 honeycrisp apple - chopped into little pieces
2 tbsp curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp veganaise (you can use regular mayonnaise, this is just what i prefer)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 head butter lettuce

optional: Bell pepper, red onion (if you're looking for a little more flavor / veggies)

Chop the chicken and apples into bite sized bits and put in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together with a spoon. I suggest you let sit in a container overnight in the fridge to let the flavors meld together.

When lunchtime arrives, the rest is easy-peasy. Rinse off the butter lettuce and scoop the chicken salad into your little lettuce leaves and chomp away!!

Happy lunching!

Recipe: Black Bean Brownies

A few days ago I was browsing Instagram, and I stumbled upon this recipe for healthy black bean brownies, and instantly had to give it a try.

By some sort of luck, I happened to have all of the ingredients handy, so I ran into my kitchen and whipped up a batch of these babies.... I can't even remember the last time I had a brownie, and to be able to find something healthy?? I'm in.

Ok, so here's the recipe:

Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients:

1 15oz can black beans (drained)
3 eggs
1/2 cup carob powder or cacao powder
1/3 cup coconut sugar
3 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate chips (optional)

(I didn't use chocolate chips because I didn't have any, but if I ever feel like making these just a little "bad" I'd definitely add them in for a little more sweetness.)

Preheat oven to 350˚ and spray an 8 inch baking pan. Place beans (drained) in a blender and pulse until smooth. Add remaining ingredients except the chocolate chips and blend / pulse until smooth. If you are using chocolate chips, add them in now before adding the batter to the baking pan. Spread any remaining chocolate chips on top of the batter in the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Ummmmm I know these are a distant relative to the original decadent pastries we call brownies, but oh-my-goodness are these yummy. They are a perfect little treat that you don't have to feel guilty about. Especially if you put delicious toppings like strawberries and a little bit of cool whip on top.

What toppings would you put on these little babies?

Paleo Orange Chicken with Cauliflower Rice

One of our favorite Paleo dishes is my own version of Orange Chicken with Cauliflower rice!

When Dave and I first met, we ate out a lot. Whenever we did cook, it was usually a pre-frozen Trader Joes meal that you just heat up in the skillet - and more often than not we were heating up our favorite: orange chicken. Now we have a healthy alternative to our favorite dish that is just as delicious, but waaaaaaaay better for you.

behold.....

The original recipe I got the idea from is a crock pot recipe, but one day I was in a pinch for time and had some already-cooked chicken in the fridge and did a stove top version of the recipe and it turned out AMAZING. And, if you have a little help in the kitchen, its an extremely quick and easy meal. Dave usually grates the cauliflower rice for me. Sweety pie.

The Orange Chicken:

About 3 breasts chicken (pre-baked)
2 tbsp orange juice
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 Cup Coconut Aminos (soy sauce substitute)
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic (I love garlic, so I use more garlic than the recipe calls for)
1/3 Cup honey
1 tbsp Sesame oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Sesame Seeds for garnish

Directions: Chop up chicken into bite size pieces, then set aside. In a medium sauce pan, combine all sauce ingredients on medium heat until blended. Let cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, add the chicken and cook until chicken is heated throughout. Reduce heat to lowest setting and prepare the Cauliflower rice.

The Cauliflower Rice:

1 large head cauliflower (about 4 cups)
1-2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp cilantro
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions: With a cheese grater, finely grate the cauliflower head into rice-shaped bits into a bowl. In a Large wok or saucepan, add the coconut oil. When melted, add the cauliflower and cook on medium/high heat for about 5 minutes. Add the cilantro, salt and pepper. Once the "rice" is cooked through, add the coconut milk and cook for about 5 more minutes.

Serve the Orange Chicken over the Cauliflower Rice immediately and garnish with Sesame Seeds.

YUM!

Paleo Pumpkin Pie

Every year my office throws a Thanksgiving Potluck. And every year it is filled with delicious, yet unhealthy options. So this year I had an idea, I will bring a healthy pumpkin pie option to the party! Because honestly, who doesn't love a guilt-free dessert?? I found this recipe here, and I must tell you it is one that is going in the recipe box for good. I even had a health-skeptic friend come over and try it. (she doesn't really understand my obsession with the whole "paleo" thing.... like a lot of my friends. They'll get converted eventually - haha)

Anyways she tried it and literally the words that came out of her mouth were, "If you hadn't told me this was healthy, I wouldn't have known the difference. This is REALLY good!!"

Success.

I am so excited to make this for the Thanksgiving potluck, and so excited to share this recipe with everyone that is looking for healthy alternatives to Thanksgiving desserts.

Crust:

2 cups Almond Flour
1 egg
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tablespoon coconut oil (I melted mine so that it blended easier with a spatula)

Combine ingredients with a spatula (I didn't have a food processor, so I did it by hand. Its not difficult at all) Press crust into pie pan with your hands until the crust is even all around. Do not bake until filling has been poured in.

Pie Filling:

1 15 oz can of Organic Pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 cup coconut milk (use the canned full-fat stuff!!)
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Combine Pumpkin and eggs in a bowl with a spatula or whisk. Whisk in coconut milk, honey, and spices. Pour into pie crust and bake at 350˚ for 45 minutes. Allow to cool and then refrigerate for about 2 hours to set.

Thai-Day Friday: Paleo Thai PAd See Ew

So Last night I made an amazingly delish, and amazingly easy thai dinner: Thai Pad See Ew with carrot noodles instead of regular noodles.

Seriously, this dish was so simple. The hardest part was peeling the carrots into noodle form, which wasn't hard at all... in fact it only took 15 minutes with a basic peeler. Just cooked the chicken in a wok (I actually was in a pinch and used a roasted chicken from whole foods) then add the veggies and simmer in garlic and 1/3 cup coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute) for 5-10 minutes. Then after that you just throw in 2 eggs and scramble them into the dish and shazaam! Done.

How good does this look?? Even my little Olive wanted in on the goodness. Just look at that stare. HAHA

***SIDE NOTE: I added about 1 tsp of grated fresh ginger to this in the wok with the veggies and it made such a difference. If you like fresh ginger you should definitely try that!!

Click here for recipe.

Anyways, I'm loving my new book, and I do realize I need to take better photos of my food. I'll work on that.

Pumpkin Red Curry - PALEO Recipe #1

Sooooo I should start off by saying that I am embarking on a new little adventure: PALEO. I've been eating clean for some time now, and unfortunately I've reached that dreaded plateau. I know there is plenty more weight to lost, and I am cutting calories like a mad woman (but staying healthy), so why aren't the pounds falling off? My only logical answer: Carbs.

So, here I go, jumping on the Paleo bandwagon. Last night marked the first attempt at a PALEO recipe I found in a book - but I made my own special tweaks, and it was absolutely amazing!!!! It was probably the best "healthy" meal I've made since I started this lifestyle change.

So, because it was THAT good, I thought I'd share.

PUMPKIN RED CURRY – Paleo style

Ingredients:

1  14 oz can of Organic coconut milk (Thai Kitchen was the brand I used. Get the full fat one…. Don't bother with the light. Remember, fat is good for you)

2 tbsp Red Curry Paste (Thai Kitchen Brand)

2 large chicken breasts, cut into small cubes or strips

1/2 Red and 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced length ways

1 white onion – chopped

1 kabocha squash (optional) peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes.

2 tsp coriander

2 tsp cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp garlic powder (or you can use fresh garlic)

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger (or powder)

In a large wok or saucepan, sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and chicken and stir until all outer edges are white/cooked. Add the coconut milk and red curry paste and stir together. Add the spices, squash and bell pepper and bring to a boil over medium heat. Then let simmer for about 20 – 30 minutes – or until chicken's internal temperature reaches 160˚. Serve over over Cauliflower rice if staying full "Paleo" or even have it by itself like a soup (which is what I did), otherwise you can try it over brown rice. 

CLEAN RECIPE: Beet Ravioli with Cashew Cream Cheese

On occasion, I find recipes that jump off the pages, as if to say Erin, you can make this, and it's going to be amazing... This recipe was one of those recipes. Probably because of my undying love for beets.

Fun nutritional benefits of beets:

1. Beets are a natural aphrodisiac. Enough said ;)

2. Beets are high in Potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorous, iron, and Vitamins A, B and C

3. Beets are a natural cleanser of the body - acts as a tonic for the liver, purifies blood and can prevent various forms of cancer.

4. Beets are a way to test your stomach acid levels: If you are eating beets or drinking beet juice and your pee turns pink.. guess what, you have low stomach acid! Wahoo!

5. Beets are an excellent source of energy - low in calories, high in sugar - however, the sugar is released into your system gradually, unlike things like chocolate. Very few foods found in the natural world are as beneficial as BEETS.

Do you see why I love beets so darn much??

Sorry.... back to the recipe.

Important Note: Make sure you marinate the beet slices!!!

Marinade:

1/4 Cup olive oil
1 lemon
sea salt - to taste
pepper - to taste

Marinate for 1 hour to overnight

Side Note: I roasted the marinated beet slices for about 12 minutes at 350˚ to soften the beets just a little to make them more ravioli-like... not mandatory, but recommended in my opinion.

I changed a few things here and there, like roasting the beets just for about 12 minutes at 350˚ to tenderize them ever so slightly, but the cashew cream cheese filling - it's what makes the dish.

Cashew Cream Cheese:

2 cups raw cashews - soaked in water for about 4-8 hours
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tbsp finely diced chives
1/4 cup finely minced parsley
1 1/2 tbsp finely minced shallots or red onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste

Directions: Blend the Cashews with water and lemon juice in a high speed blender until smooth. Stop periodically to scrape the sides of the blender with a spatula.
Transfer mixture to a bowl and mix in the remaining ingredients - OR you can do what I did and blend EVERYTHING in the blender.

Side note: I used garlic powder instead of onion powder, because that's what I had, and you know what? It was still delicious.

Happy Healthy Cooking!!

Recipe: Cacao-Chia Energy Balls

I've battled hunger, I've battle fatigue and I've battled those persistent cravings. My main craving is like clockwork... every day, after a workout, after I have eaten my lunch - I get this major hankering for something sweet. I almost always want chocolate, and this doesn't go away easily with a simple apple or glass of water. Sooner or later I end up caving, getting some sort of sugary treat or drink, and then there is the inevitable sugar crash. So I decided to do some research to see if there were any healthy options out there that would satisfy the craving, and I hit the jackpot.

I found the perfect recipe, and just finished making them.

I had to try one once they were done being rolled into balls. They are AMAZING. This is a recipe I am going to rely on for years. I just have a feeling.

;)

DETOX: Day 8

It's been a few days since my last detox update. Thought I'd report on the progress....

I'll admit, the weekend was really hard. Old traditions die hard folks.... First thing that entered my groggy Saturday morning head was... mmmmmmmmm what to have for breakfast.

.... Then I came to and realized, nope.... juice. 

I recovered from that initial disappointment, and went to a vegan restaurant for lunch with some friends who are also detoxing with me. I actually enjoyed {no lie} my kale salad with carrots avocado and walnuts, with a cacao and almond milk "shake" YUM. {stick together if you're detoxing, folks. It really helps.} All in all, I survived the weekend without cheating. I've yet to fall off the wagon, 8 days in. I'm pretty proud! 

In other news, I weighed myself on Sunday. 6 lbs down.

That's my biggest achievement so far. I really hope it continues to drop.... I could use another 14 lbs to fall off.... but that's just being a little optimistic. HEHE

Other changes of note: 

• I'm on NO meds, other than my inhaler. Allergy pills have not been taken for 8 days, and I feel fine without them. I'm also off the pill because I wasn't thrilled with the idea of all of those hormones and other toxins being pumped into my body on the daily... and it feels good to be free of them.

• My skin is more supple. I suffer from dry skin and right now is the worst time of year for my skin, and somehow it's doing quite well. Especially in my face. My face is actually dewy.... in a good way. Not oily. Just even and calm. Calm seems to be the best word to describe it.

• Energy is still low for workouts. I've found that eating an apple with the BEST BUTTER is my saving grace..... allow me to clarify:
The BEST BUTTER is also known as SUNFLOWER SEED BUTTER. 

The best stuff on earth. Better than almond butter. Just try it and you'll see. {on this cleanse you can't eat peanuts because of some sort of fungus that grows naturally on them that causes tummy trouble if you're cleansing.}

New exciting discovery: CLEAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

At night I am supposed to drink a smoothie for dinner.... or I have the option to make a healthy soup, it just has to be the same consistency of a smoothie. So I found this recipe and I've got to say, it's better than most restaurants. I'm not kidding. 

{I added 1/2 sweet onion to add a little extra flavor}

I made enough that I get to have it again tonight.
Ask me if I am excited about that.

Why YES. YES I AM.

hahahaha

And...... that's it for Day 8.

curry chicken salad

Last night, in an attempt to make a healthy but hearty lunch for myself, I decided to try making curry chicken salad... and boy was I successful!! -- Make it with light mayonnaise and throw it on top of some lettuce, and it's a pretty healthy lunch option...

{note: this is not my photo... but it looked this good!!}

Here's how I did it:

Ingredients:

1 package chicken breast strips - about 0.8 pounds

1 Gala Apple {substitute for celery - I'm not a fan of celery}

1/2 medium Red Onion {1/4 if you don't like that much onion}

1/3 Package Craisins {dried cranberries}

1/4 cup sliced almonds

2-3 heaping tablespoons of Light Mayonnaise

about 1 tbsp Curry Powder - to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Coat a glass baking dish {I used 8x8} with a little Olive Oil. Place chicken breast strips in baking dish and season with a little Olive Oil, salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of curry powder. Bake chicken for 25 minutes.

While chicken is baking, dice up the red onion and apple, throw into a large mixing bowl. Add Craisins and almonds. Once chicken is done and cooled a bit, dice the chicken into bite-sized cubes and throw into the mixing bowl. Add the mayo and curry powder and mix ingredients together with a large spoon. Serve on salad greens, or for a heartier meal on multigrain bread {that's how the boyfriend eats it}.

• • • • • • • •

Anyone else out there have some healthy recipes to share?