Author: Cat

Spicy Black Bean Veggie Bowl

Spicy black bean veggie bowl

Want something a little lighter? Meatless meals are great for you and great for the planet. Try this filling, fiber rich, brimming with antioxidants veggie bowl.

Ingredients
1 can of black beans
1/2 lb of green beans
2-3 carrots
2-4 garlic cloves
yellow squash or zucchini
1 red onion
fresh tomato
chili powder
cumin
salsa, hot sauce or sriracha
butter

Directions
In a frying pan with butter, add 1/2 onion and garlic, chili powder and cumin and stir and cook till tender. In a sauce pan, add to beans along with hot sauce and simmer over low heat. Wash veggies, chop carrots and squash and add remaining onion to large pan with a tbsp of butter, salt and pepper. Add about 1/4 cup water and lid, simmer over medium heat until tender–dont overcook! (ten minutes approx)

Spoon up beans in bowls and add veggies, chopped tomato, and a touch of hot sauce if desired. Enjoy! Makes 2-4 servings.

Mexican Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Mex turkey wraps

A little something spicy and delicious for an easy lunch or light dinner!

Ingredients
1 lb of ground turkey, either dark or white meat
garlic, minced
sea salt, pepper
pinch of cayenne
1/2 tsp or so of chili powder
1 tsp cumin
sweet vidalia onion
tomato
cilantro
salsa or hot sauce
green or red leaf lettuce
avocado
coconut oil, olive oil or butter

Directions
In a frying pan, heat up oil, add turkey, garlic, seasonings and cook till turkey is no longer pink. Chop up sweet onion, tomato and avocado and cilantro. Add turkey to large lettuce leaf, top with onion, tomato, avocado, cilantro and salsa. Mmmm-mmm. Serves 4.

Meal Plan 7

Choose one each day from each category, recipe links are highlighted. Enjoy!
And feel free to repeat your favorites if you like!

breakfast

lunch

  • Monster veggie salad with boiled egg, meat or tuna. Olive oil and balsamic dressing, top with raw cheese (optional)
  • Taco salad with leftover mexican turkey meat, red, yellow, green peppers, salsa, cilantro, topped with avocado
  • Natural deli turkey nori seaweed wraps with an assortment of veggies–peppers, onion, tomato, avocado (nori can be purchased at many grocery and health food stores like Whole Foods, it comes in square sheets)
  • Mango/peach chicken salad
  • Monster veggie/lettuce salad with leftover meat, tuna, chicken or boiled eggs
  • Leftovers from dinner
  • Steamed fresh veggies with garbanzos or other beans on top

dinner

snacks

  • Handful of fresh blackberries, or blueberries and handful of raw almonds or other nuts
  • 1 small or half large apple, sliced and dipped in 1 Tbsp peanut or nut butter
  • 3-4 slices raw cheese
  • 2 pieces of natural deli turkey rolled up with a slice of avocado inside
  • Nut butter on celery and carrots
  • 2 Tbsp Cashew hummus  and veggies

dessert

 Optional

  • Frozen blueberries, drizzle with a touch of maple syrup and cinnamon
  • Fresh Strawberry Pie
  • Hot herb tea with stevia, almonds, strawberries, balsamic vinegar and touch of maple syrup
  • 1-2 small pieces Healthy Fudge

shopping_list
Produce
1 container blueberries
1 container strawberries
2-3 peaches
3-4 avocados
1 head leaf lettuce
4 medium sized tomatoes
celery
carrots
bunch baby or large leaf spinach
watercress/arugula/baby greens
bunch of any type kale or baby kale
radishes
cilantro
2 medium red onions
1 sweet vidalia-style onion
head of garlic
small chunk ginger
2-3 red bell peppers
1 jalepeno
1 apple
2 lemons,  1 lime

Meat, Eggs, Etc
2 packages Chicken breasts (including extra to make up and save for lunches)
1 lb ground turkey or chicken
Steak–tri tip, flank, ribeye, etc.
1 lb grass fed ground beef
1 package natural bacon
natural deli turkey

Misc
cashews
tahini
jar of salsa
buckwheat flour (not mix but pure buckwheat flour)
slow cooking oatmeal
cinnamon, curry powder
ground flax seeds
dried cranberries or raisins
nuts–almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, etc
1 or 2 cans coconut water
nori seaweed squares for wraps (usually sold in Asian food section)
tuna
raw cheese
dijon mustard
almond meal/almond flour
1 bar dark chocolate
nut butter
gluten free bread, optional

Canned goods
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 can organic pumpkin–not pumpkin pie mix
1 can garbanzo beans

BLT Salad

blt+salad+-+11874

Love Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches? This is a great way to enjoy that same great flavor, without the fattening bread–and with the addition of lots of green veggies, plus avocado!

Ingredients
Romaine, leaf lettuce, baby greens, supergreens, spinach, etc
Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, or 1-2 larger tomatoes, chopped
4-6 slices natural bacon, cooked and chopped up
Avocado, chopped
Raw blue or goat cheese, optional
Extra virgin olive oil and apple cider or balsamic vinegar

Directions
Cook bacon ahead of time, chop. Clean and chop vegetables and lettuce. Assemble with generous amounts of bacon and avocado.
Add dressing before serving and garnish with cheese if desired.

Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes with Peaches

Paleopumpkinpancakes

Pumpkin is great any time of the year–dont just wait until Thanksgiving. These delicious pancakes are made with pure buckwheat flour, ground flax and vitamin A rich organic pumpkin. Buckwheat is not made from a grain, it is from a seed, so it is low glycemic and anti-inflammatory. Plus–in Colorado, we have these amazing peaches grown in Palisade, Colorado and they are the sweetest, freshest, juiciest peaches I’ve ever had!

Ingredients (all measurements approximate)
1 can organic pumpkin puree
1/2 cup pure buckwheat flour (not buckwheat pancake ‘mix’, this has wheat flour in it.
1/2 cup ground flax seed
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp of baking soda or baking powder
pinch of sea salt
pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon
water or almond/flax/coconut milk to thin batter if needed

Directions
In a big bowl, add dry ingredients and mix. Add eggs, vanilla, and liquid to thin to a medium batter. Heat up large flat pan and add tbsp or so of butter. Drop batter in pan to make small pancakes. Flip when pancakes have dry bubbles around edges. Garnish with fresh peaches or berries, grass fed butter and a drizzle of real maple syrup. Enjoy!

Southwest Veggie Scramble

FullSizeRender-3

Delicious, easy to throw together, superhealthy breakfast!

This one doesn’t really take any specific ingredients, just pull out a few veggies you have in the fridge and get scrambling!

Ingredients
handful of kaleasparagus
mushrooms
onion
red pepper
tomato
Sriracha sauce or salsa
sprinkle of cumin
2-4 eggs, whipped with fork
Sliced avocado
Cheese if desired

Directions
Chop up veggies and add to large pan (except tomatoes) with 1 Tbsp butter. Over medium high heat, stir and cook till tender. Add eggs, tomatoes and cumin, cook till done. Garnish with sliced avocado, salsa or sriracha. Enjoy!

Grilled Veggies and Chicken Bratwurst

grilled veggies and chicken brats

Want and quick and supereasy dinner idea? Try grilling up some veggies with chicken bratwurst. Super fast, super easy!

Ingredients
Chicken bratwurst, sliced down the middle
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Sweet Onion
Tomoto
Fresh herbs, salt and pepper
Olive Oil

Directions
Cut up veggies and sausage, drizzle with olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with a little hot sauce if desired. Heat grill to medium high heat. Grill, turning frequently, till veggies are tender and sausage is cooked through. Serve with quinoa, sweet potato or alone.

Meal Plan 8

Choose one from each category, recipe links are highlighted. Enjoy!

breakfast

Pumpkin smoothie or breakfast bowl with nuts, cinnamon and maple syrup
Eggs in bacon cupcakes, serve with sliced avocado, sliced tomato
Scrambled egg (add veggies if desired) in Nori wrap burrito
Fried eggs in gluten free or paleo bread toast cutout-cut out center of toast, add to pan with butter, break eggs inside toast, cook and flip over
4 Balls of Energy
Paleo Carrot and Apple Muffins with nut butter
Sweet potato stir-fry with veggies–use bacon or sausage, and (cooked or leftover from dinner) sweet potato, and veggies

lunch

Tuna or chicken salad wrap with Nori (seaweed wraps you can buy at whole foods and other places)
Monster salad of mixed veggies with boiled egg, leftover meat or tuna, Olive oil and lemon juice, fresh herb
Tomato tuna bites with raw cheese
Maya Beach chopped salad, your choice of veggies and beans
Leftover taco-lettuce wraps with avocado

dinner

Power Bowl with chicken or tempeh and bone broth
Gazpacho with shrimp
Taco-lettuce wraps with guacamole, refried beans (make tacos, wrap in lettuce)
Tomato, zucchini and kale Ragout with black bean pasta (Trader Joe’s), grilled veggies
Easy grilled veggies and chicken bratwurst dinner  quinoa
Seafood penne with asparagus  tossed salad

snacks

Apple or fruit with nut butter
Raw cheese and cut up veggies
Nuts and fresh blueberries
Beef or turkey jerky and cut up veggies
Hummus with fresh veggies
Deviled eggs with cut up carrots

dessert

Optional!
Dark chocolate with fresh berries
Herb tea with stevia
Fresh fruit with handful of nuts
Chocolate avocado pudding

shopping_list
Produce
Asparagus
3-4 avocados
Salad greens
Head of green leafy lettuce
Veggies for salad, and for munching on
2 red bell peppers
2-4 zucchini
2 yellow squash
Mushrooms
Carrots
4-5 tomatoes
2 sweet onions
2 onions
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Thumb of fresh ginger
1-2 turnips
Bunch of collard greens or kale
Blueberries or other fresh fruit in season
2 bananas
2 Sweet potatoes
1/2 cup dates

Meat, Fish, Poultry
Natural bacon, sausage
Chicken Bratwurst (enough for dinner)
1 lb grass fed ground beef
Chicken breasts (enough for dinner and leftovers for lunch)
Shrimp (for gazpacho)

Misc.
Maple syrup
Coconut flour
Ground flax
Nori wraps (at Whole Foods)
Canned pumpkin
Canned coconut milk
Refried beans
Bone broth (can be found at WF and TJ’s)
Black Bean pasta (TJ’s)
2 small cans wild sockeye salmon
Beef or turkey jerky
Raw cheese
Parmigiana Cheese
Nuts
Cocoa powder

Egg in bacon cup

These are a wonderful tasty, take it with you breakfast, also great as a snack too!

EggCup-640x426photo courtesy fifteen spatulas
http://www.fifteenspatulas.com/mini-bacon-egg-and-toast-cups/

Eggs in bacon cups

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pre-cook the bacon by frying them for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Spray a metal muffin pan with cooking spray. Line muffin cups with bacon and carefully crack egg into bacon lined cup. Bake the egg cups for 10-15 minutes until the centers have set. You can adjust the cooking time based on how you prefer the consistency of your egg yolks. Carefully remove the bacon egg cups to a plate. Refrigerate leftovers and enjoy!

 

Meal Plan 9

Choose one from each category, recipe links are highlighted. Enjoy!

breakfastPaleo French Toast, using Paleo bread recipe, add butter and fresh berries
Two scrambled eggs with chopped spinach, slice of raw goat cheese, paleo toast
Quinoa, nuts, and berries bowl with cinnamon, flax or coconut milk, grass fed butter
2-4 slices regular or turkey bacon, 1/2 cup serving fresh blueberries, or peach
Super Smoothie, bacon if desired
2 Poached eggs on Paleo toast with fresh greens
Soft boiled egg, fried egg or poached egg with 1/2 sliced avocado

lunch

Egg salad (2 eggs) on 1 piece of Paleo bread with arugula
Monster salad of mixed veggies with boiled egg, meat or tuna. Olive oil and balsamic dressing
California turkey bacon lettuce wraps-deli turkey slices, bacon, avocados, and tomatoes, roll up like a burrito
Dinner leftovers
Gigantic salad with beans, tuna or leftover meat
Chopped veggies (your choice!) mixed with 1/2 cup brown rice or quinoa, chopped chicken, olive oil and lemon juice

dinner

Halibut with grilled peaches, sauteed swiss chard with butter and lemon juice
Wine Country chicken and asparagus salad
Spaghetti with zucchini noodles and grass fed beef (use sugar free premade sauce), tossed salad or cooked green beans
Pad Thai with veggie noodles*  Ingredients listed separately
Asian Spicy (pork, chicken or turkey) meatballs, baked sweet potatoes, baby greens salad
Chicken salad on a bed of lettuce (chicken, celery, onion, mayo)
Grilled chicken with lime and cumin, grilled asparagus with grass fed butter

snacks

Celery sticks with nut butter
Raw cheese and cut up veggiesNuts and fresh blueberries
Beef or turkey jerky and cut up veggies
Hummus with fresh veggies
Boiled egg with cut up carrots
1 Slice Paleo bread with nut butter

dessert

Optional!
Dark chocolate with fresh berries
Herb tea with stevia
Fresh fruit with handful of nuts
Chocolate Coconut Dream Bites

shopping_list
Produce
Asparagus
2 avocados
Salad greens
Head of green leafy lettuce
Veggies for salad, and for munching on
Swiss chard
Lemons
Celery
2 onions
Green beans
Fresh thyme, basil
Cherry tomatoes
Blueberries
2 bananas
Peaches
Zucchini spirals or zucchini to make into spirals
Baby Kale or baby spinach
Meat, Fish, Poultry
Chicken breasts (enough for dinner and leftovers)
deli turkey
Ground grass fed beef
Halibut
Bacon or natural turkey bacon
Misc groceries
Nut butter or sunflower butter
Brown rice
Quinoa
Ground flax seeds
Maple syrup
Apple cider vinegar
Capers
Natural unsweetened spaghetti sauce
Dark Chocolate
Cocoa powder
Eggs (need 5 for flax bread so buy extra if needed)
Grass fed butter
Coconut, flax, almond milk
Frozen Berries
Beef or turkey jerky
Nuts

*Pad Thai Ingredients
Tamarind sauce or tamarind paste
Rice vinegar
Red bell pepper
Cilantro
Shrimp
Tofu
Bean sprouts
Peanuts
Lime

Meal Plan 10

Choose one from each category, recipe links are highlighted. Enjoy!

breakfast

Scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, avocado and tomato slices
Hot quinoa cereal with nuts, butter, almond, coconut or flax milk, fresh fruit; 2 slices bacon
Paleo quiche
Balls of Energy, apple, berries, or peaches
Green Smoothie, bacon, sausage or ham
Poached Eggs on ham or bacon, avocado slices
Buckwheat and Flax Pancakes or Waffles, topped with fresh blueberries and grass fed butter

lunch

Power Bowl with any veggies you have on hand; add beans, meat, bacon, tempeh, boiled eggs for protein
Big salad of your choice veggies and greens, leftover salmon on top
Gazpacho leftovers
Lettuce wraps with tuna salad
Leftover quinoa stuffed pepper
Roast chicken (purchase already cooked at store, or roast at home), cauliflower mashed potatoes, sauteed powergreens
Tomato-Tuna Bites

dinner

Sweet and Spicy grilled salmon with pineapple/mango salsa
Gazpacho, baked sweet potatoes
Asian chicken salad
Grilled chicken legs, grilled veggies or Arugula Zucchini Fennel salad
Quinoa stuffed peppers
Cobb Salad
Natural Chicken sausage (Trader Joe’s/Whole Foods, etc), Brussels sprouts with bacon

snacks

Beef or chicken jerky, cut up raw veggies
Boiled egg, veggies
Plain greek yogurt with nuts and fruit
Apple or other fruit with nut butter
Handful of pistachios or other nuts, fresh fruit
Raw cheese with veggies
Celery with nut butter

dessertOptional!
Fresh Strawberry Pie
1 or 2 Balls of Energy, 2 pieces dark chocolate
Coconut Milk Custard
4 pieces dark chocolate, herb tea with stevia, honey or maple syrup

shopping_listProduce
2 quarts strawberries
blueberries, blackberries
1 apple
fresh herbs–oregano, basil, etc
watercress
arugula, baby greens
radishes
6 red or yellow bell peppers
2 avocados or more if desired
cherry tomatoes
5 tomatoes
2 sweet red onions
cilantro
parsley
kale
1 small zucchini
celery
carrots
brussels sprouts
ginger
lemon
Meat
salmon
store roasted chicken or whole chicken to roast
grass fed ground beef
chicken legs
1 pkg chicken sausage
shrimp
bacon
Misc
beef or turkey jerky
quinoa
oats
buckwheat flour
tempeh (optional)
nuts
nut butter
raisins or dried cranberries
coconut milk
cumin powder
frozen kale, spinach or other greens
cocoa powder
1 can full fat coconut milk
1/2 pint cream, optional
raw cheese
2 small containers Greek yogurt

Meal Plan 11

Choose one from each category, recipe links are highlighted. Enjoy!

breakfast

  • Quinoa scramble with bacon
  • Ham or smoked turkey wraps with avocado, asparagus and tomato
  • Sweet potato hash with veggies and bacon
  • Chicken apple sausage (can get from Trader Joe’s and WF), sweet potato and veggie stir fry
  • Paleo Muffins w/nut butter sunflower butter and berries
  • Fresh berries with almonds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and unsweetened coconut
  • Coconut flour pancakes ‘Egg McMuffin’ with eggs and Canadian ham

lunch

  • Monster salad with boiled egg, meat or tuna. Olive oil and balsamic dressing
  • Cucumber, tomato, and onion salad with tuna or chicken, olive oil and lemon juice
  • Chopped veggies, quinoa or brown rice, chicken breast
  • Deviled eggs on a bed of arugula or baby power greens
  • Pea guacamole with hard boiled eggs, and veggies for dipping
  • Tuna salad on lettuce leaves
  • Leftovers from dinner

dinner

snacks

  • Coconut flour pancake with almond butter, apple or strawberry
  • 1/2 cup strawberries, handful of raw almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc
  • 1/2 serving fruit, 4 slices of raw cheese
  • Greek yogurt, almonds, berries (be sure yogurt has no added sugar and has LIVE cultures)
  • Tuna on cucumber slices
  • Pea Guacamole on veggie slices
  • Celery with nut butter

dessert

Optional!

  • 4 small squares extra dark chocolate, berries
  • 4 squares dark chocolate dipped in nut butter
  • Chocolate avocado pudding
  • Hot herb tea with stevia, almonds, strawberries, balsamic vinegar and touch of maple syrup
  • 2 chocolate chip cookies

shopping_list
Produce
3-4 avocados
jicama
arugula/baby greens
2 cucumbers
2-3 red bell peppers
small zucchini
celery
2 red onions
cilantro
parsley
lemons
asparagus
4-6 tomatoes
4-5 new red potatoes
4-5 sweet potatoes
Meat
Chicken breasts or thighs
Steak–tri tip, flank, ribeye, etc.
grass fed ground beef
apple chicken sausage
natural deli turkey
Misc
quinoa
ground flax seeds
dried cranberries
raw honey
nuts–almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, etc
coconut flour
tuna
1 small can or jar of artichokes
greek yogurt, plain
raw cheese
black beans
frozen baby peas

Fresh Cucumber and Tomato Salad

my cucumber salad

Cucumbers are not the sexy new superfood but they are pretty awesome in their own right! They are a great source of conventional nutrition like vitamin C and vitamin A, and they contain a great source of manganese and antioxidants, including a substance called cucurbitacins. Cucurbitacins actually block cancer cell development and along with the lycopene in the tomatoes, this is a power-packed salad. Add some tuna to it for a complete meal!

Ingredients
3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
3-4 small cucumbers, sliced
1 sweet onion, sliced
Fresh oregano, thyme, or basil chopped
1 tsp raw sugar
2-3 Tbsp virgin olive oil
Lemon juice or 1 Tbsp apple cider or balsamic vinegar
sea salt and pepper
Can of Albacore tuna, optional

Directions
Chop up veggies and mix with dressing. Tastes better if prepared ahead of time and allowed to soak up flavors.

Coconut Flour Pancakes

Pancakes on a white background

These are delicious served with fresh fruit or used as a grain-free ‘muffin’ to hold your eggs. My favorite way is to use these and make a healthier version of an Egg McMuffin. Simply make the pancakes and freeze or refrigerate, heat in toaster or pan and add a piece of natural ham or canadian bacon, an egg and some greens. Breakfast on the go!

Ingredients
•    1/4 cup coconut flour
•    1/8 tsp baking soda
•    Pinch of salt
•    1/3 – 1/4 cup coconut milk
•    2 tbsp organic, cold-pressed coconut oil
•    3 eggs
•    1-2 tbsp honey
•    1/2 tsp vanilla extract
•    Maple syrup to taste
•    Grass-fed butter for cooking (Kerrygold and Anchor are my favorite brands)

Directions
Thoroughly mix the eggs,coconut and honey together. Add coconut milk and vanilla extract. Add coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix, but not too much! Melt a dab of butter in your skillet and then using a measuring cup, add a little batter to the pan. I recommend figuring out how many pancakes you’d like to make beforehand so that you can use an appropriately sized cup or ladle. This recipe should yield around 8 or so pancakes.

 
*The lecithin contained in the egg yolks gives you the texture of the pancakes, so if you’re not happy with the overall consistency then I would recommend adjusting the egg quantity before anything else.

Cleansing Artichoke Soup

dish of fresh artichokes soup

I absolute LOVE this soup! It’s perfect for spring and full of great greens as well as the cleansing quality of artichokes. It’s not that complicated and easy to vary depending on your ingredients on hand. The key of course is the artichokes, leeks and potatoes.

Artichokes are members of the thistle family and we are eating the flower. They are very high in fiber, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and chromium and manganese. Artichokes contain cynarin and silymarin, which are excellent for the liver, kidneys, and stimulating bile secretion. Cynarin was actually used as a cholesterol lowering drug at one time and it can decrease cholesterol dramitically. And because artichokes are good for detoxing the liver they are great for hangovers!

Different greens work in this soup: sorrel, chard, spinach, beet greens, butter lettuce, etc.

Ingredients
2 medium to large artichokes
1 cup water with lemon juice added
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, sliced, white part only
4 garlic cloves
2 small red potatoes, quartered
Several leaves of greens
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
sea salt
5-6 cups water
1 cup frozen baby peas

Garnishes
Extra virgin olive oil
Parmigiana Cheese
Fresh ground pepper

Directions
Break off all outer leaves at the stem. Slice off the top of the remaining leaves about 2/3 of the way down. Cut the artichokes in quarters and remove the fuzzy centers with a spoon, leaving the hearts intact. Drop them into the lemon water as you work, so they do not turn dark.

Warm the olive oil in another large pan, and add leeks, artichokes, garlic, potatoes, greens and salt. Add 1/2 cup water and stew for a few minutes. Add peas and rest of ingredients and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes till artichokes are tender. Cool and blend in blender in batches. Garnish with olive oil and cheese and pepper.

Jerk Chicken (or Pork) with Pineapple/Mango Salsa

chicken+with+pineapple+salsa(photo courtesy http://healthyandgourmet.blogspot.com)

This is the perfect time of year to enjoy grilling outside and this is the epitomy of a refreshing, delicious summer dish. The jerk seasoning on the chicken (or pork) sets off the cool, sweet taste of the pineapple salsa perfectly. This chicken is best on the grill, but you can also make it on the stovetop as well–preferably in a cast iron skillet. Jerk seasoning is a spicy, sweet seasoning from the Caribbean. It can be found as either a wet or dry rub, but I prefer the dry rub. I make my own mix, but its generally easy to find in the store already mixed up.

Ingredients
2-4 lbs boneless, skinless breasts, or thighs or pork loins or pork chops
Jerk seasoning (recipe below)

Salsa
Pineapple and/or mango, chopped in small chunks
1/2 red onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1 small red or green jalepeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed and minced
fresh lime juice to taste

Directions
Heat grill to medium heat, brush grates with oil to prevent sticking. Coat chicken in jerk seasoning, and grill. Turn one or two times. The jerk seasoning with will burn because there is sugar in it, so try not to let it get totally charred, but a nice bit carmelized brown is great.
Meanwhile, chop and mix up fruit salsa. Serve with a generous dollop of fruit salsa on top. Sweet potatoes round out this dinner perfectly!

Chicken Piccata with Artichoke Hearts and Capers

chicken_piccata-6-1024x682(photo courtesy www.pixelatedcrumb.com)

This was always one of my fast, ‘go-to’dinners–always a favorite, and very quick and easy to fix. I just kept canned or jarred artichokes on hand, capers (great in a lot of dishes) and frozen chicken breasts. Viola! A quick, yet elegant dish that satisfied everyone!

Capers actually have a long history of being used medicinally all the way back to early Greece to treat inflammatory conditions. And they have been used for gas, indigestion and bloating as well as promoting healthy liver function. Adding capers to grilled meats helps prevent the formation of cancer-causing by-products as well.

Ingredients
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, or thighs
1/4 cup or so brown rice flour, optional
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp grass fed butter
4 cloves garlic minced
1 can or small jar of artichoke hearts (can be marinated or plain)
2 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice
2-3 Tbsp capers2 Tbsp white wine
Parmigiana Reggiano, grated, optional
Herbs–Rosemary, oregano, basil, etc.

Directions
Rinse chicken and dredge through flour or pour flour into a large plastic bag and shake chicken pieces in it. Add chicken to pan with olive oil and butter and brown. Add in garlic. Season with sea salt and herbs and cook chicken until done inside and golden brown. Add artichoke hearts, capers, wine and lemon juice. Simmer 10-15 minutes until liquid reduces and thickens slightly. Serve plain or over cooked quinoa, cauliflower ‘rice’ or potatoes.

Garden Fresh Gazpacho

gazpachoGazpacho is the perfect soup of summer. Refreshingly cool on a hot summer day, this classic Spanish soup combines the best of summers most nutrient rich vegetables. This soup is always best when you can use locally grown and picked at their peak vegetables. Not only will they be bursting with nutrients, but also bursting with flavor. You just can’t do justice to this soup with store bought veggies picked way before they are naturally ripe! And did you know, organic tomatoes contain three time the cancer fighting lycopene that conventional tomatoes contain? And lycopene is one of those foods that is absorbed better when eaten with a fat, so add some yummy avocado to your gazpacho to top it off!

Ingredients
4-6 ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 red onion, quartered
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped in large pieces
2-3 stalks celery, chopped in large pieces
2 carrots, chopped roughly
1 sweet red bell pepper, quartered
2-4 cloves of garlic minced
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 tsp cumin
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp raw sugar or honey
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2-4 cups V-8, tomato juice or the healthy organic equivelent
Handful cilantro
Avocado sliced
1 cup medium shrimp, cooked (optional)

Directions
Combine all ingredients, with only about half the tomato juice in blender, and blend at low speed, leaving soup chunky. Add all ingredients, and mix. Refrigerate or serve with cilantro and sliced avocado. Makes great leftovers too!

 

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

Pumpkin, sweet potato and carrot soup with a dollop of yoghurt, in a white bowl on a blue background, with copy space above and below. More soup:-[url=http://www.istockphoto.com/file_search.php?action=file&lightboxID=3666414]here[/url]

This soup has a rich and exotic taste that satisfies and warms your soul. Sweet potatoes contain numerous significant and surprising health benefits. The super nutrients that these root veggies contain include antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and blood sugar regulating substances. The bright orange flesh contains beta carotene, which is converted into vitamin A with the addition of some fat. Including healthy fats maximizes your body’s ability to absorb and convert beta carotene into usable vitamin A.

The phytonutrients in sweet potatoes also help with digestive tract problems and add healthy fiber. And don’t forget the power-packed spices–curry powder, coriander, cardamom, and turmeric have massive health benefits ranging from anti-aging, brain health to cancer protection and arthritis prevention.

Ingredients
4 cups sweet potatoes, cubed
1 medium sweet onion, chopped2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4″ fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp turmeric
Sea salt
Pinch of cayenne
5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup almond, flax, or coconut milk
1 Tbsp coconut oil or butter
1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

Directions
Heat coconut oil or butter in large pot and saute onions and celery until tender and translucent. Add minced garlic and saute briefly. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender. After soup has cooled sufficiently, place in blender and puree in batches till smooth. If too thick add more stock or water. Sprinkle with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Chimichurri Steak

beef chimichurri, Ted(Recipe and photo courtesy Chef Ted Wood)

I love the simplicity of a great chimchurri. It truly brings out the flavor of meat in so many dishes! Chimichurri is a staple of South American food, especially Argentinian dishes. This version uses fresh parsley, onion, garlic, oil, vinegar, and a little bit of chili pepper. The dominant flavor of the onion will make or break this dish, so use a sweeter onion if you can. If not, just cut back a bit.

Eating just two Tablespoons of parsley actually promotes better carbohydrate metabolism. It is also very anti-inflammatory, strengthens the immune system, fights heart disease, strokes, and atherosclerosis–not to mention bad breath! The vitamin K in parsley is also great for bones and helps the body make an important fat that protects the myelin sheaths around our nerves and nervous system.

You can also substitute fresh cilantro instead of–or in addition to the parsley, which also has huge health benefits as well.

Ingredients
Grass fed steak–flank, skirt steak, tri-tip, ribeye, etc.
5 large garlic cloves
1/4 to 1/2 red onion
1 cup parsley leaves
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
sea salt, red pepper flakes

Directions
Finely mince the garlic, onion and parsley. Stir in wine vinegar and olive oil, season with salt and red pepper.

Grill steak over medium high heat until medium rare. Thinly slice on diagnonal and serve with a generous amount of chimichurri sauce. Enjoy!