Have the body you love and the health you deserve!
An easy dinner with summer’s harvest veggies. This is a venison steak, thanks to our friend Mark, but you can buy a delicious grass fed steak too! Add in some local, fresh green beans and some sauteed root veggies (we used potatoes, carrots and squash), with a little pesto on top, and PRESTO! You have a delicious, healthy, low carb fat burning dinner.
Zoodles are the new noodles! Full of nutrition, and LOW CARB! No more fattening, gluten-y pasta. Zoodles are the fat burning version of yumminess. I just got a Veggie/Noodle maker so I thought I’d give it a try. You can buy these gizmos at Target or any local kitchen gadget store. Or online…they aren’t expensive! Or, you can often buy Zoodles at some stores already zoodled! If not, just make some thin sliced zucchini and/or summer (yellow) squash.
Ingredients
Garlic-I used a lot!
Red onion, sliced or chopped
Olive oil
Canned artichokes
Organic red pasta sauce (check for a low sugar or no sugar variety)
Ground beef
Directions
Saute in onions and garlic in pan, set aside. Cook beef in another pan, add artichokes and red sauce and heat on low. Add ZOODLES or zucchini to onions and garlic and saute over high heat stirring the whole time for about 3-5 minutes. Dont over cook. When tender but still firm, remove from heat.
Add salt and ground pepper.
Drain excess water from zoodles, and pile zoodles on plate. Add generous scoop of red meat sauce and enjoy!!
Can be made without meat if desired.
My local healthy grocery store has an amazing little salad bar with organic veggies. I go there almost daily, I mean DAILY for a salad. I try to vary it some, but usually just end up getting a bit of everything–as far as veggies go. I mean, even if you are eating a low carb diet (which I am), veggies are basically free–in terms of carbs and calories (does anyone count those anymore?). AND they are FULL of all kinds of amazing, awesome nutrition, antioxidants, and massive phytochemicals that fight cancer, disease, keep you young and trim your waistline. Go for it!
If you can find a great salad bar near you–and avoid all the gloppy, fattening, sweet, processed foods, load up. I usually get a pile of greens, red onions, red cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, arugula, mushrooms, artichokes, and a little bit of beans or garbanzos. Drizzle with EVOO and a snizzle of apple cider vinegar. Dig in! Sometimes I add a few chunks of roasted chicken or hard boiled egg too.
Ever eat Dandelion greens? They are delicious–with a spicy bite a little like arugula, and full of massive amounts of nutrients. Try them this way–in an omelet. Add in a little bit of (raw) goat cheese at the end and enjoy!!
Saute greens in butter until tender, add beaten eggs, cook until almost done, fold in goat cheese and serve with browned sweet potatoes. Your day will start out RIGHT with this breakfast! (toast optional)
A quick and easy, but fantabulous meal! 
Keeping a rotisserie chicken on hand is the best way to find a base for an easy and quick lunch or dinner. Try this one from my friend who is making a wonderful documentary about What to Eat.
Mediterranean Veggies with Rotisserie Chicken
Ingredients
Eggplant
Red onion
Red pepper
Green pepper
Zucchini
Fava beans
Olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic
Sea salt and fresh pepper
Oregano and/or basil
Grated Parmigiana Reggiano
Directions
In a big frying pan, heat the olive oil, and saute the onion and garlic till tender. Add other veggies and saute until tender. Add chopped chicken and heat for a couple minutes. Add oregano or basil if desired, serve topped with Parmigiana Reggiano (optional).
For a light lunch, try this:
Micro greens, pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc and citrus dressing.
(Photo and recipe by Greg Kiger, What to Eat)
Salad Ingredients
Organic baby arugula, baby kale, micro greens or variety of sprouts, chopped red cabbage, etc.
Tomatoes
Any other greens or vegetables that are in season, especially locally grown
Pecans, almonds, walnuts
Citrus Dressing
Equal parts lemon and fresh squeezed orange juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and fresh pepper
Mix with fork or whisk and drizzle over salad
Dump a very generous amount of greens on your plate. Add leftover chicken, fish or beef–or a bit of canned tuna if you wish for added protein.
A simple lunch using whatever greens you have on hand–micro greens are delicious and bursting with nutrition. Can often be found at your farmer’s market or health food store. If you cannot find them, pick up some sprouted seeds–radish, sunflower, etc.
Add in some leftover seared tuna and viola! A lunch better than what you would find in a restaurant! 
This smoothie is a great start to a quick 2-3 day detox if you want to get back on track with your diet. It is delicious, satisfying, refreshing, and–it has some great fat-burning, detoxifying, diuretic ingredients. Try it–You’ll feed skinnier in just a couple of days!
Ingredients
1 large bunch of fresh parsley
1 large thumb fresh ginger, chopped up in smaller pieces
1/2 medium organic cucumber, chopped in chunks
handful of baby kale (or spinach, etc)1 tsp or small root of turmeric
1/2 sweet/tart apple, chopped in chunks
2 cups liquid–coconut water, kombucha, or spring or sparkling water
cinnamon if desired
Directions
Blend in blender until smooth. Be sure ginger is well blended. Drink up!
Try this for breakfast and lunch for two days and eat a normal low carb meal of protein and veggies. Amazing!!
When zucchini and tomatoes are in season, nothing compares to the delicate nutty taste of fresh picked zucchini and the sweet juicy tang of tomatoes. Finding both of these locally grown means that these vegetables are at their peak of flavor and nutrition. Tomatoes are full of lycopene and other powerful antioxidants, as well as vitamin A and C. Zucchini is an excellent source of manganese, vitamin C, magnesiu, vitamin A, fiber, potassium, folate, copper riboflaviin and phosphorus.
Basil is also a powerful superfood and contains flavonoids anv volatile oils which are uniquely health protecting. Basil actually provides protection against dangerous bacteria which can cause food poisoning including: listeria, staph, E.coli, and more.
Ingredients
1lb or so of fresh small zucchini, sliced thinly
2-3 firm medium to small tomatoes, (Roma tomatoes are good), chopped
2 Tbsp extra irgin olive oil
2-4 cloves of garlic crushed and minced
handful of fresh basil chopped
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1-2 Tbsp grass fed butter
A couple of thin slices of prosciutto or cooked bacon
Directions
Add olive oil, zucchini, and garlic to a pan over medium heat and cook for a couple minutes until zucchini is beginning to be tender. Add tomatoes, seasoning and just heat through–30 seconds or so. Add bacon and basil and toss. This is also AMAZING added to scrambled eggs!
Serves 4
This mayo is absolutely divine–and easy to make! And it doesnt have all those harmful, fattening ‘bad fats’ in it, like soybean oil and corn oil, and sugar/corn syrup. The best oil to add is avocado–it’s delicious, rich and full of antioxidants and nutrition! And you don’t need a lot.
Ingredients
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard or grainy mustard
1 Tbsp lemon juice
sea salt to taste
1/4 tsp white or black pepper
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (usually has a strong olive oil taste) or avocado oil
Directions
Combine the eggs, mustard, lemon juice, salt and whilte peper inbleder or food processor. On low speed, add oil slowly, drizzling in. Continue blending until oil is well mixed in. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Refrigerate to thicken and store in airtight container for up to two weeks. Enjoy on everything!
this Middle Eastern salad normally uses cracked wheat, but quinoa is a much better, gluten free substitute. Quinoa is not really a grain, but a seed, and it is packed with antioxidants, nutrients and ALL the essential amino acids. Quinoa is high in protein, making it a good substitute for meat–it is also high in lysine, important for tissue growth and repair.
Quinoa also contains magnesium, manganese, copper, iron and phosphorus, along with antioxidants, B vitamins, and fiber–especially helpful to those who suffer from migraines, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Quinoa also contains lots of riboflavin, a B vitamin needed for energy production.
This salad is great chilled, or served at room temperature. For added flavor and protein, add some raw or natural feta cheese on top.
Ingredients
2 cups cooked and drained quinoa (try red, black or a combination of colored quinoa)
1 cucumber, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped, or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bunch green onions
1/2 cup fresh mint
2 cups fresh chopped parsley
2-4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1/4 to 1/3 cup feta cheese (optional)
cup up chicken for extra protein (optional)
almonds (optional)
Dressing
1/2 cup fresh lemon or lime juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Directions
Cut up veggies for salad and toss with quinoa and dressing. If you have time, this tastes better after 2-4 hours when vegetables and quinoa soak up dressing better. Serves 4.
Read about the amazing health power of onions here!
Shish Kabob Ingredients
2 lbs beef, lamb, chicken cut into 1 and a half inch cubes
1/2 lb of Baby Bella or white button mushrooms
1 large or 2 smaller sweet red onions or Vidalia onions quartered
1 medium zucchini or summer squash or both cut into thick slices and sliced down the middle
1 fresh pineapple cut into thick slices
1 each green, yellow and red peppers, quartered and cut into 1″ slices
Marinade
1 cup tamari (gluten free soy sauce)
3 Tbsp of honey
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
2-4 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
1 thumb freshly grated ginger root
a couple shots of Tabasco sauce, Sriracha, pinch of cayenne, OR hot pepper flakes
Directions
Mix up marinade in large glass bowl or glass baking dish. Cut up meat and veggies and place all EXCEPT THE PINEAPPLE in marinade. (don’t put pineapple in with meat and veggies, it turns the meat into slimy mush-ugh!)
Marinate 1-4 hours or overnight. Thread meat onto skewers and thread veggies and pineapple onto separae skewers. This prevents veggies from getting overcooked while meat is cooking. On a grill over medium high heat, grill skewers, turning carefully until evenly browned and meat is cooked through-or at least pink if beef. Delicious served with browned garlic and quinoa.
We’ve been hearing about turmeric for the last year or so, but it’s true–it’s a super-powered spice!
Turmeric Tea
Add boiling water to a mug, with a teaspoon or so of turmeric. Add cinnamon, a small splash of real vanilla, fresh ground black pepper, and a half teaspoon of honey or maple syrup. Add a touch of grass fed butter too–it’s absorbed better in the presence of fat. Enjoy!
Turmeric has some of the world’s most powerful fat-burning and healing qualities of any food or spice. It is a potent anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial substance.
Turmeric grows as a shrub in India and tropical parts of Asia. The roots are ground up to make turmeric. Its active ingredient is a substance called curcumin and it is bright yellow.
Ayurvedic medicine has used this spice as a whole body cleanser, an aid for digestion, and in treatments for fevers, infections, liver and gall bladder problems and arthritis. It helps to burn fat, and is also very effective as a preventative for heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.
The rich stores of anti-oxidants are very effective against the free radicals which contribute to premature aging, disease and cancer. Many natural practitioners actually recommend turmeric when a potent antioxidant is needed.
Turmeric helps to digest fats by stimulating the flow of bile in the gall bladder and therefore is very effective as a digestive aid and fat-burning compound. Studies also show it is highly effective at reducing the inflammation from arthritis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease and a hundred other inflammatory conditions.
It also contains strong anti-platelet substances which help prevent the blood from clotting too easily, and so is very effective against heart attacks and strokes. In addition, homocysteine, a chemical component in the body, which is one of the primary predictors of heart attacks, is significantly lowered in the presence of curcumin.
As an anti-inflammatory it has been used effectively for a treatment for all types of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and for joint pain.
Turmeric is a powerful weapon against cancer cells as well. Studies show that this super spice can actually prevent cancer tumors from growing and in those who already have cancer, turmeric slows the growth and spread of cancer. The curcumin in turmeric is also highly effective when combined with the anti-oxidant quercetin (found in red onions, apples and cherries) against pre-cancerous polyps in the colon.
One of the most exciting new studies has shown turmeric’s value against Alzheimer’s. Studies of the Indian population who have a high intake of turmeric in their curry dishes show a very low incidence of Alzheimer’s and dementia in the elderly.
How to get turmeric into your diet:
-I put it into smoothies–especially my favorite pumpkin smoothie.
-Add to soups
-Make tea or turmeric milk
-Add to other baked or cooked meals. The flavor is mild when used by itself.
-Add to homemade applesauce
-Add to sautéed apples, or steamed cauliflower, green beans and onions, or any of your favorite veggies.
-For a great, low-calorie dip, try mixing turmeric and dried onion with a little omega 3-rich mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
-Turmeric is also a great spice to complement recipes that feature lentils. -Give salad dressings an orange-yellow hue and a little extra flavor by adding some turmeric powder to them.
Once you start using turmeric on a regular basis, it’s fun to find new ways to use it in recipes. My favorite way to use it is to add a pinch of it to egg salad. It adds a great flavor, and gives the egg salad a delicious rich yellow hue.
(photo courtesy Greg Kiger)
Saute your favorite farmer’s market veggies–this one uses eggplant, onion, tomato, zucchini, and green bell peppers and pastured eggs, with raw goat cheese. BAM! Super breakfast!
An awesome recipe that my talented daughter Christin created. It’s amazing!!
Meatballs
2 lbs ground turkey
1 cup zucchini, shredded & liquid squeezed out
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 medium red onion grated
3 garlic cloves, microplaned or finely chopped
1 tsp red curry paste (can buy in asian section in grocery store)
2 tbsp canned coconut milk
1 tsp hot pepper flakes
Olive oil, or coconut oil for pan
Sauce
Remainder of can of coconut milk
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp red curry paste
1 tsp fish sauce
2 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
1/8 tsp hot pepper chili flakes, or to taste
Juice of 1 lime, plus zest of half
Directions
Mix the turkey, zucchini, fish sauce, onion, garlic, red onion, coconut milk, and hot pepper flakes together in a bowl. (I found it easiest to use my hands.)
Roll the mixture into roughly 1 inch size balls (around the size of a ping pong ball) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
In a large skillet, put the olive oil or coconut oil and heat to medium. Begin placing the meat balls around the pan, be careful not to overcrowd. (I had to do a couple batches.) Brown on all sides.
In a separate dish, mix the ingredients for the sauce. When all the meatballs are finished browning, place them all back into the pan and pour the sauce. Let simmer on medium low for about 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. Serves 4-6, or makes great leftovers!
Did you know all sockeye is wild caught? This is a big plus, so you know you are getting the best fatty oils and healthiest type of fish you can eat. Try this delicious salad!
Sockeye Salmon Salad
Most any type of wild caught salmon works in this salad, but sockeye salmon is definitely my favorite. You can find it canned and it’s delicious. Keep some on hand. Salmon contains a large amount of antioxidants, and the darker pink the flesh, the more antioxidants–as long as it is wild caught.
The pigment that helps to make salmon’s flesh pink is astaxanthin. Astaxanthin lowers C-reactive protein (CRP), which measures inflammation in the body and the blood vessels.
Astaxanthin may just be the best antioxidant for DNA protection. It’s 6,000 times more effective than vitamin C, 800 times more effective than CoQ10 and 550 times more effective than vitamin E or green tea.
The effect astaxanthin has on DNA is rather amazing. DNA is damaged by free radicals when you’re exposed to things like pollution, smoke, radiation and processed food. In one study, DNA damage dropped by 43% after subjects took astaxanthin supplements.
Wild caught salmon is especially rich in omega 3’s and the health benefits from this mega nutrient are endless! Salmon is also a great source of easily digestible protein, niacin, B6, B12, selenium, phosphorus and magnesium.
Eating salmon even twice a week may help raise omega 3 levels as effectively as taking daily fish oil supplements. And those healthy fats in salmon help burn body fat, contribute to a healthy heart, protect against strokes, reduce inflammation in the body, fight cancer, improve asthma, protect your eyesight, and more.
Eating a diet high in astaxanthin and omega 3 fats protects skin against sunburn and wrinkles. The omega 3’s in salmon lift your mood and fight depression, improve memory and learning ability, and help with disorders like ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Healthy fats in salmon and other wild caught cold water fish also help prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Ingredients
2 cans (6.5 oz each) canned sockeye salmon, drained and chunked
3 Tbsp organic mayo (see recipe below to make your own)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp capers, drained
1/3 cup finely chopped fennel root
1/3 cup finely diced red onion
Pinch of organic black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill or 1/2 – 1 teaspoon dried organic dill weed 4-6 large leaves green or red leaf lettuce
Directions
Drain salmon and discard skin and any bones (if desired). In a medium bowl, combine ingredients. Add salmon and stir gently to combine.
Lay out lettuce leaves and place a scoop of salmon salad on each leaf. Serves 2-4.
Thai Orange Seafood Soup
This beautiful and exquisitely delicious Thai soup makes a gracious addition to any table. Serve it as a special appetizer for a dinner party or just make it for the main course. In Thai, it’s known as “Geng Som Pla” – which actually means “Orange Fish Curry” – an ancient recipe from the Central Plains region of Thailand.
It is a hot and spicy soup with both sour and sweet overtones that make for a lively combination, especially when paired with your choice of fish and/or seafood. Use plenty of fresh local vegetables to make this a wonderfully healthy Thai soup.
I served this soup on a cold and blustery day to a friend of mine who was coming down with a cold. It hit the spot and was declared, “the best soup ever”! It’s also actually very good on a hot day! In Thailand, it’s very hot and they eat hot and spicy soups all the time to stay cool.
You can vary the vegetables in the soup, as long as the seasonings stay intact. It can also be served with brown rice or quinoa on the side.
Ingredients
6 cups organic, free-range chicken stock
2-3 medium fillets of wild caught cod, cut into chunks
10 medium shrimp OR other shellfish
Juice of 2 oranges, OR about 1 cup prepared orange juice
2 tsp. tamarind paste (available at Asian/Indian food stores) OR 2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp palm sugar
3 Tbsp fish sauce
2 cups baby bok choy, chopped
Handful of cherry tomatoes
Handful green beans, cut into 2 inch lengths
1 small zucchini, cut into quarters and sliced
4-6 green onions sliced
PASTE
Blend in food processor, OR mince by hand—
1 shallot OR 1/4 cup purple onion
1/2-1 fresh red chili OR chili flakes to taste
1 thumb-size piece ginger
3-4 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1 extra tsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce
Generous handful fresh coriander (+ extra for later)
Directions
Make the soup paste, either by mincing and mixing paste ingredients together by hand, OR by placing paste ingredients in food processor and processing well.
Warm a medium-size soup pot over high heat. Add a little butter in the bottom then add the paste you just made. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes to release the fragrance, then add stock, orange juice, tamarind or lime, and sugar. When soup comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium.
Add the firmer of the vegetables–the beans and white parts of the bok choy. Simmer 4-5 minutes, or until beans have softened.
Add remaining vegetables, plus fish and shrimp. Simmer 2-3 minutes, until fish has turned firm and opaque-white and shrimp are pink and plump. Finally, add the fish sauce.
Don’t over-stir at this point, as this will cause fish pieces to break up.
Black Bean Salad
Black beans are rich in healthy fiber, which makes them a satisfying low glycemic snack, and they are full of a very potent antioxidant, anthocyanin—the same kind of antioxidants that grapes and blueberries are rich in! Of any bean, black beans contain by far the most antioxidants of any bean.
Beans also help stabilize blood sugar, and help prevent cancer, increase energy and fat burning metabolism, and are full of protein, vitamins and minerals.
You can purchase black beans already cooked in a can or boil your own from dry beans. Similar recipes often contain corn as an ingredient as well, but I don’t recommend using corn as it is high glycemic, fattening and genetically modified.
Try adding some chopped jicama for an extra sweet crunchy taste! This hearty salad is also a great side dish to grass fed beef dishes like burgers, steaks and more. Or try seasoning a chicken breast with a little cumin and chili powder and serve on top of this. It’s also great alongside your eggs in the morning!
Since beans are a low glycemic carbohydrate, limit your serving size, and avoid eating it with chips, crackers, etc.
Ingredients
2 15oz/425 gm cans of black beans, drained and rinsed, or 3-4 cups cooked beans
1 ripe tomato, diced
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Generous handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small red, green or yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 small jalapeño, minced, ribs and seeds removed or hot pepper flakes
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
Sea salt and pepper to taste
A pinch of cumin powder
Directions
Combine all ingredients in glass bowl, mix and enjoy! Serves 4.
These chips are delicious!! Better make a double batch, because they shrink when cooked and they go FAST!
A few good things about kale…
Kale can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you will cook it by steaming. The fiber-related components in kale do a better job of binding together with bile acids in your digestive tract when they’ve been steamed. When this binding process takes place, it’s easier for bile acids to be excreted, and the result is a lowering of your cholesterol levels. Raw kale still has cholesterol-lowering ability—just not as much.
Kale’s risk-lowering benefits for cancer have recently been extended to at least five different types of cancer. These types include cancer of the bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from glucosinolates in kale play a primary role in achieving these risk-lowering benefits.
Kale is now recognized as providing comprehensive support for the body’s detoxification system. New research has shown that the ITCs made from kale’s glucosinolates can help regulate detox at a genetic level.
Researchers can now identify over 45 different flavonoids in kale. With kaempferol and quercetin heading the list, kale’s flavonoids combine both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits in way that gives kale a leading dietary role with respect to avoidance of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.
Also…
Kale is high in Vitamin C. This is very helpful for your immune system, your metabolism and your hydration.
Kale is high in calcium. Per calorie, kale has more calcium than milk, which aids in preventing bone loss, preventing osteoporosis and maintaining a healthy metabolism. Vitamin C is also helpful to maintain cartilage and joint flexibility
Kale is a great detox food. Kale is filled with fiber and sulfur, both great for detoxifying your body and keeping your liver healthy.
Ingredients
1 large bunch of kale, inner ribs removed
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (or plug in your dehydrator). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.
Wash and thoroughly dry the kale, then remove the leaves from the tough inner stem. Slice or rip into large pieces. Remember- they’ll shrink as they dehydrate so don’t go too small. Place in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour over the kale and coat each leaf thoroughly. It’s messy, but the best way to do this is with your hands.
Spread the chips in a single layer on the baking sheet or in the dehydrator. The dehydrator should take approximately 8 hours. The oven will take up to an hour (start checking on them after 30 minutes. They’re ready when the seasonings are completely dry and the kale is crispy.
![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]](http://www.simplesmartnutrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/sweetpotatosoup.jpg)
A rich and satisfying soup with the exotic taste of the East to fill you up!
Sweet potatoes are not just another starch root vegetable. They contain numerous, significant, and surprising health benefits, including antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and blood sugar-regulating substances. Their bright orange flesh is one of the best sources of beta carotene, the pre-cursor to vitamin A. Sweet potatoes contain 1000-6000 micrograms of vitamin A in every 3 oz serving. But be sure to include some healthy fat like grass fed butter with those, because your body can’t absorb or convert that beta carotene into vitamin A without some fat!
Sweet potatoes’ phytonutrients lower your health risk from free radicals and heavy metals. These phytonutrients also help with digestive tract problems including IBS and ulcerative colitis.
And be sure to be generous with those super powerful spices–curry powder, coriander, cardamom, and turmeric which have massive benefits from anti-aging, brain health, cancer protection to arthritis.
Ingredients
3-4 sweet potatoes, cubed
1 medium sweet onion, diced2 celery stalks, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4″ fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp curry powder with turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sea salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock or bone broth
1 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
Directions
Heat butter in larg pot and saute onions and celery until onions are translucent. Add minced garlic and saute briefly Add remining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until tender. Let cool, and process in food processor or blender in batches until smooth. Sprinkle with roasted pumpkin seeds and serve with a large salad. Serves 4.
I found this awesome recipe from Whole9 for cashew hummus–no beans, no starch, just healthy satisfying fats and protein. Here’s the base recipe, and I’ve included info on how to make plain, olive, roasted red pepper and sun-dried tomato versions too.
Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup tahini
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne
water
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Directions
Soak cashews in a bowl of water for at least three hours. Drain and rinse a few times, then drain well and place in food processor.
Add remaining ingredients to food processor and puree until well-blended. The texture will be very thick. Add water, 1/4 cup at a time, until desired thickness–add it gradually to get the right consistency.
Sprinkle the top with freshly chopped parsley before serving.
For the variations, keep the base recipe the same and add the following:
Olive: Add black olives to the mixture before blending. For canned olives, 20-30 is a good number. For fancier cured Greek olives, start with 10-15 and add more to taste.
Roasted Red Pepper: Add 1-2 roasted red peppers and 1/2 teaspoon paptrika to the mixture before blending. To roast peppers, cook on a grill or under the broiler until charred and soft. Place in paper bag for 10 minutes, then peel. Or take the easy route, and buy them in a jar at the store.
Sun-dried Tomato: Add 5-7 sun-dried tomatoes to the mixture before blending.