Herb Ranch Dressing

Many dressing are full of sugar, and unhealthy oils such as canola and soybean oil.  Good quality dressing tends to be expensive, so I enjoy taking just a few minutes to make my own dressing that is full of healthy oils and inexpensive to make.  Herb Ranch Dressing is my favorite!  It makes a great dip for veggies too.  I eat a lot more veggie sticks when I keep a jar full of this in my fridge.  Recipe taken from Against All Grain.

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Primal Kitchen for the clean ingredients).
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk (Look for a BPA free lining).
2 cloves garlic, crushed into a paste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:
In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.  Store in a glass jar in the fridge.

Chew Grain Free Flat Bread

My family love these flat breads.  We use them as tortillas and wrap them with hummus, goat cheese, avocado, and veggies, or salmon salad.  For breakfast they are great with nut butter and sliced banana.  We also use them for pizza.  They store well in the fridge and just need to be quickly reheated. This recipe is from VFit Squad.

Ingredients:

2 eggs whisked

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk canned and full fat (Look for one with a BPA free lining.)  

1 tbps. Extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup coconut flour

¾ cup tapioca flour

Instructions:

1.     If making pizza, preheat the oven to 400 F.

2.     In a bowl combine all wet ingredients (eggs, coconut milk, and olive oil).

3.     In a separate bowl combine all the dry ingredients (coconut and tapioca flour).

4.     Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until combined. Batter will thicken after it sets for a few minutes.  Should be the consistancy of pancake batter. 

5.     If making wraps season a pan with olive oil and heat over medium, low heat.  Pour 1/3 cup of batter into a pan, forming a circle.

6.     Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until batter begins to bubble.  Flip and cook on the other side for a couple minutes.

7.     If making pizza, put parchment paper on a cookie sheet. 

8.     Pour out the batter on the cookie sheet and spread out, making a thin crust.

9.     Bake for 15 minutes, until edges start to golden. 

10.  Flip the crust gently.

11.  Cook for another 5 minutes.

12.  Then spread your favorite sauce and add toppings and cheese.

13.  Bake until the cheese is melted.

14.  Mini pizzas are fun to make as well.  After you cook on the stove top, add the sauce, toppings, and cheese and bake at 400 until the cheese is melted.

15.  Enjoy!

Grain Free Granola

I'm so thankful to find more and more grain free granola options at the store.  Recently I found a couple brands, GrandyOats and Paleo Passion Food Grainless Granola with only 4 grams of added sugar.   This granola tastes delicious but is expensive to buy on a regular basis so I try to make granola when I can.  We love it with goat yogurt and berries or on top of chia pudding.  You can play around with whatever kind of nuts and seeds sounds good to you, keeping in mind the ratios. This recipe is slightly altered from The Paleo Mom.

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped raw almonds
1 cup chopped raw cashews
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup raw honey
1/3 cup Virgin Coconut Oil
2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

Instructions:
1.  Preheat oven to 300 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix together nuts and seeds in a big bowl.
3.  Add cinnamon and nutmeg then stir.
4. Melt coconut oil and honey in a small sauce pan. Add vanilla.
5.  Pour of nuts and seed mixture.  Stir until coated.
6. Pour the mixture onto the cookie sheet and spread out evenly.
7.  Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
8.  Let it completely cook and then put in a glass jar for storage.

Kefir Cheese Sauce

If you are looking for another way to get your veggies in, try this yummy kefir cheese sauce.  It is also an easy way to sneak in some added probiotics to your diet.  I love it with broccoli and cauliflower as a side dish.  It is also delicious over pasta with peas, broccoli, and chicken.  This recipe is slightly modified from VFit Squad. 

Ingredients:

¼ cup plain, unsweetened organic kefir  (I use goat Kefir as it is easier for my family to digest).

¼ cup grated cheese (I have tried this recipe with both goat and sheep cheese. If you do use cow cheese, 100% grass fed is best.)

1 tbsp ghee or grass fed butter

dash of pepper and garlic powder

Instructions:

1.     Boil noodles or steam veggies  (I recommend brown rice pasta with a pea protein.  Explore Cuisine is our favorite brand.  It has 11 g of plant-based protein).

2.     In a separate sauce pan, combine all ingredients, and simmer, stirring constantly until cheese is melted. 

3.     Add pasta or veggies in the sauce pan and mix. 
dEnjoy!

Cold Busters

These Cold Busters, made with elderberry are great during cold and flu season.  I pour the mixture into different shaped silicone molds which my girls love! If you don't have the silicone molds, pour the mixture into a glass baking dish, filling them about 1/2 inch up the sides, then cut into squares once the mixture has chilled and thickened.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried elderberries
1/2 cup unfiltered unsweetened organic apple juice (Apples are on the dirty dozen list so they are best to buy organic if possible.)
1/4 cup pomegranate juice concentrate
1 tsp pure lemon juice
1/4 cup unflavored gelatin (Great Lakes and Vital Proteins are both good brands. If you use the Great Lakes use 1 tbsp less than what is called for).
1/4 cup raw honey
1 (50 billion IU) dairy and gluten free probiotic capsule (I use Swanson brand).

Instructions:
1.  Place the elderberries in a pot with 1 cup of water.  Bring to boil and reduce heat.  Simmer with the lid on for 1 hour.
2.  Strain the elderberry juice through a fine-mesh sieve and return the juice to the pot. Discard the elderberries.
3.  Add the apple, pomegranate and lemon juice.
4.  Sprinkle the gelatin over the juice. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
5.  Warm up the juice over medium heat until it is steaming, not boiling, then whisk until the gelatin has dissolved.
6. Let the mixture cool to room temperature and then whisk in the honey and the powder in the probiotic capsule.
7. Put your silicone molds on a cookie sheet for easy transportation. Use a turkey baster to fill the molds.  If the mixture begins to solidify before the molds are full, warm it up in the pot over low heat until it turns to liquid again.
8. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, until set.  They should easily pop out.
9.  Enjoy!  Store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.  They probably won't last that long though :)

Mexican Sweet Potato and Chicken Soup

This is one of my favorite soups!  Larry and I alternate weekly between this soup and the Sweet Potato Lentil Soup.  Anything with sweet potato hits the spot! It tastes delicious and you can make it in a crockpot with no extra dishes needed.  This recipe is adapted from VFitSquad.

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups green salsa

1.5 pounds chicken thighs

1 large carrot chopped

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 bell pepper chopped

1 cup mushroom sliced

1 small box of fresh spinach

1 avocado sliced

Instructions:

1.     In a large crockpot combine salsa, chicken thighs, carrots, sweet potatoes and broth.

2.     Cook on low for 4-6 hours until chicken thighs start to fall apart.  May need a little extra shredding at the end.

3.     Add the bell peppers and mushrooms 30 minutes before it is done.

4.     Add the spinach and cook until wilted.

5.     Serve and garnish with sliced avocado.

6.     Enjoy!