Homemade Chicken Soup

 

I’ve been thinking about making chicken soup for a while now and I have been waiting  to make it on just the right cold and snowy day. This is super easy, but it does take some  time, perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

You Need:

1 small whole chicken, skinned

2 quarts organic low sodium chicken broth

1 large onion

5 stalks celery

1 cup baby carrots, chopped

3 garlic cloves

3 sprigs thyme

3 sage leaves

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs rosemary

1 large leek, chopped

1.5 cup zucchini, shredded

juice from one lemon

In a large stock pot, place the chicken and chicken stock and enough water to just cover the chicken. Heat to a boil. Put in the onion, 2 celery stalks chopped, .5 cup carrots, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, sage in the pot and cover and lower heat to low and simmer for 1.5 hours.

Take the chicken out of the pot and place on a cutting board. Let the stock sit with the heat off and skim off the fat. A quick tip: I put the pot in my fridge for 20 minutes to let it cool and speed up the separation process. Then I was able to skim off the fat and see it easier.

Place the remaining veggies, except the zucchini in the pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer covered for 10 minutes and then add zucchini, simmer for 2 minutes and then serve!

Homemade Chicken Soup

 

I’ve been thinking about making chicken soup for a while now and I have been waiting  to make it on just the right cold and snowy day. This is super easy, but it does take some  time, perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

You Need:

1 small whole chicken, skinned

2 quarts organic low sodium chicken broth

1 large onion

5 stalks celery

1 cup baby carrots, chopped

3 garlic cloves

3 sprigs thyme

3 sage leaves

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs rosemary

1 large leek, chopped

1.5 cup zucchini, shredded

juice from one lemon

In a large stock pot, place the chicken and chicken stock and enough water to just cover the chicken. Heat to a boil. Put in the onion, 2 celery stalks chopped, .5 cup carrots, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, sage in the pot and cover and lower heat to low and simmer for 1.5 hours.

Take the chicken out of the pot and place on a cutting board. Let the stock sit with the heat off and skim off the fat. A quick tip: I put the pot in my fridge for 20 minutes to let it cool and speed up the separation process. Then I was able to skim off the fat and see it easier.

Place the remaining veggies, except the zucchini in the pot and bring to a boil.

Mini Vegetable Frittatas

 

These veggie frittatas are so simple to make and they make for an easy quick or even to-go breakfast… lunch or dinner for that matter. I got this idea from a client who started to make them for her son who has recently adopted the Paleo diet and was having trouble eating enough for breakfast. I decided to make them today and I think I will make some more soon because Diego’s already eaten two or three.

What you need:

1.5 cup zucchini squash, shredded

1/2 an onion chopped

1/2 cup mushrooms

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

6 eggs

1/2 tsp  Celtic sea salt

1tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sauté onions and salt in olive oil in a large pan until translucent. Add the mushrooms and sauté another 3-5 minutes.

While this is happening, whisk the eggs in a medium size bowl. Add the zucchini   and green onion to the egg mixture and mix.

Spray a 12 muffin pan with oil and fill each hole with mushroom and onion just so it covers the bottom.

Fill each muffin hole with egg mixture a little more than 3/4 full but not quite to the top, it will fluff up and the egg might run over a bit.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the egg is cooked all the way through.

Indian Spiced Cauliflower “Rice” Pilaf

 

I’ve been craving rice lately and specifically that saffron colored wonderful aromatic basmati rice they serve at an Indian restaurant. I’ve been pondering the idea of making “rice” on it’s own with cauliflower for a few weeks and I finally gave it a try. After seeing how this dish created itself, I can see there is a ton more rice-y dishes you could make with cauliflower, especially a rich risotto. I can’t wait to try some more.

If you have been craving that rice texture and you want something that is flavorful and satisfying you will love this cauliflower rice.

 

You need:

1 medium head cauliflower, pulverized in the food processor

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic

10-12 green cardamom pods

1 tbsp cloves

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tsp fresh ginger

1 cinnamon stick

2 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp saffron strands

1.5 cup chicken stock

Heat olive oil in a large pot and sauté onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add the cardamom, cloves, coriander, ginger, and cinnamon. Sauté 3-5 minutes.

Add Cauliflower and sauté with spices about 5 minutes or until it starts to get a golden color and the aromatics of the spices have spread around the kitchen again.

Add the chicken stock, thyme, bay leaves, and saffron and bring to a boil. Cover and lower the heat to low and let simmer for 10-20 minutes until the liquid is soaked up by the cauliflower. The longer you let it simmer the more the flavors will come into the cauliflower.

Serve and garnish with cilantro or thyme.

Paleo Frito Pie with Guacamole

I was in the mood for chili yesterday and after doing some experimenting with  Sweet Potato chips on Friday I got the great idea to make Frito pie. Now when I make Chili I sort of “wing it” as far as a recipe and use things I have laying around the kitchen, so I tried to write down this recipe as best I could. The best thing about winging it with chili is that every chili comes out new and excited but the bad part is, it’s hard for me to replicate a really good chili over again. This batch turned out smoky with a sweet taste from the squash and the andoullie sausage. Yum!

Chili:

1 pound Grass fed ground beef

2 links nitrate free Andoullie sausage, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 large onion, chopped

2 jalapeños, chopped and pitted

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch cilantro

1 cup butternut squash, peeled and chopped

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

2 14 oz cans  no salt added  organic diced tomatoes in juice

1 cup beef broth

Salt to taste

1 tbsp cumin

3 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

water

 

In a large pot heat 2 tbsp olive oil on medium high. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeños and sauté until the onions are translucent, about  10 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large skillet brown the ground beef and sausage until cooked. Set aside.

In a food processor, add 1 tbsp olive oil and cilantro. Blend until it becomes a thick paste and add water until it forms a saucy consistency. set aside.

Add the Mushrooms and squash to the pot with the onions and sauté for 3ish minutes or until the mushrooms have begun to shrink. Add the meat to the pot and let everything cook together for about 5 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Add cans of tomatoes and beef broth and cilantro sauce. add in all spices and stir. Bring to a boil and then set heat to low and let simmer for 1-2 hours. It depends on how think you want your chili. I wanted mine thick this time so I let it simmer for over 2 hours to reduce and thicken. ( If you don’t have beef broth, chicken broth or water would work just as well)

 

Sweet Potato Chips

2-3 large sweet potatoes

olive oil

coconut oil

grapeseed oil

salt

Peel the sweet potatoes. I cut mine using the slicer in my food processor so they come out uniform. If you don’t have access to one of these you can cut them yourself. They can be as thick or thin as you like. Just remember the thicker they are the longer the cooking time will be.

If you have a deep fryer, this part will be much less time consuming. If not, place an amount of oil in a large skillet so that the oil is about 1/2 inch high, enough to cover your chips. Heat up to 375 if you have a thermometer or heat to med high. Know your stove, mine is a lot hotter than it says it is. Test one chip and get a feel for if the oil is hot enough, too hot etc and how long it needs to cook for. you will need to watch the chips at all times. When one side is golden brown, flip it over. The point here is to get rid of the moisture in the potatoes, so if your chips are coming out and ending up a little soggy, they need to cook longer.

When your chips are done place them on a plate with some paper towels to catch the excess oil. Salt them if you like and then put them in a large bowl. I found that it’s best to salt them immediately after taking them out of the oil so the salt sticks.

The same technique would work to make sweet potato chips. I also tried a few squash chips which turned out great but required a different cooking time because they have so much more moisture. As long as you stay by the pan, flipping and checking your chips, you can’t go wrong. 

 

Guacamole

3-4 Large avocados

1 bunch cilantro

1 clove garlic

1 jalapeño

salt to taste

1/2 tsp cumin

juice from 1 small lemon

 

place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until the consistency is what you want. If you are going by hand, mince the cilantro, garlic, and jalapeño and place all the ingredients in a bowl and mash with a masher or a fork, or use a mortar and pedestal if you have one.

 

 

The Piece de Resistance

Putting it all together,

In your bowl, put a layer of chips, then pile on the chili, then put some more chips on top and a big dollop of guac…. mmmmmmm Diego Approved! Garnish with chopped avocado, peppers, cilantro, lime wedges, cabbage…. whatever your little hear desires.

del.icio.us Tags: Paleo,Recipes,Paleo Frito Pie,Paleo Chili,Chili,Guacamole,Sweet Potatoe Chips,Clean Eating

The Down Low on Clean Eating Series: Introduction

When I talk to people about Clean Eating and specifically Paleo, I get a lot of confused, shocked, and resistant faces. What I have found in my years in this industry is that asking people to give up sugar is a no brainer. People have come to expect that if they want to eat healthier, they need to give up sugar and other white products like white rice, refined flour, etc. But asking people to give up ALL GRAINS, BEANS, and ALL DAIRY... whatsoever... is like asking them to get naked and speak in front of thousands of people.

When I was first presented with the Paleo diet "rules" I know I did the same thing. For me the grains part was easier to understand than the dairy part, especially since in the past my "healthy" way of eating often involved eating a lot more dairy products than normal like string cheese and yogurt. Often when we have a fitness or health goal we are presented with ways of eating that I now consider excuse diets; diets that allow people an easy way out.

For Example:

No sugar? Have as much fake, laboratory-produced sugar as you want, even if it’s a neurotoxin. Who cares at least you won’t be taking in calories.

You hate cooking? No problem, don’t learn how to cook and eat over processed, chemical ridden frozen meals that have as much nutritional value as a cardboard box.

Count your Calories! No need to worry about what’s in your food or where it came from, or if it will even get into your cells for your body to use.

The diet industry of today has you running around in circles believing that there is some magical,easy way out. I am so sick and tired of people trying to make hard things easier by cutting corners. “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”

I really believe that this is a huge reason people are such yo-yo dieters. If you don’t re-learn what you know about food; how it affects you, how you shop for it, how you cook it, and how you eat it you will never learn any way of eating that will be sustainable for you. Remember those factors for later.

Key Point: Something that sounds sustainable for you in the future right now… to the person you are now whom you are trying to make life changes to…. probably sounds this way because it is still in your comfort zone. If I have learned anything in this life it’s that in order to grow and change we have to go OUTSIDE of our comfort zone. I know this because at one time, I didn’t think I would be able to I could sustain a life without cheese or ice cream or even ENJOY it. But I did and I’ve never enjoyed eating more than I do now.

In this series of blogs I am going to give you the down low (DL) on the 4 absolute musts that you need to learn (either for the first time from a different perspective) if you want to create a healthy way of eating that you will be able to sustain and enjoy for the rest of your life.

· How Food Effects You

· How to Shop for and Cook Food

· How to Eat Food

· How to make it a part of your NEW YOU!

I will go over things things like how body composition, emotions, energy level, performance and health are related to insulin, hormone regulation, gluten, lectins, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and other foods and non-foods we put into our bodies. We will go more in depth about what to look for in the grocery store, reading labels, and creating and finding great recipes for your weekly meal planning. And lastly I will give you some great tips along the way to begin to implement these changes in your life. Look for the DL on insulin in the next blog. I look forward to questions and empowering you to make more healthy decisions.

del.icio.us Tags: Paleo,Clean eating,The down low on clean eating series,weight loss,optimal health,diets,fitness

7 things no one told you about food

QUALITY of food is always going to be MORE IMPORTANT than QUANTITY of food.- Crystal Nelson

A blog recently written by my friend Crystal Nelson, along with many recent conversations with family and friends about “why the heck I don’t eat dairy or grains anymore” inspired this week’s inspire me Monday. There are so many things I could talk about but to start, I want to lay down the law of the basic things people don’t realize about food.

The 7 Truths no one told you about food:
1) Food is Fuel
2) Food is a Drug
3) Calorie Counting is BS
4) Food has amazing healing power
5) Food has amazing destructive power
6) Food is a Drug
7) Food is Fuel

Just in case you were wondering, it’s not a mistake that “food is fuel” and “food is a drug” made it in the list two times. So much of my job is getting my clients to CHANGE THE WAY THEY VIEW FOOD. If you know me, you know I am all about optimal health and functioning which this why love the Paleo Diet by Dr. Loren Cordain and the Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson as an optimal way of eating (notice how I say way of eating, not diet).

Food has Amazing Healing Power: I love Robb Wolf’s blog for great paleo success stories and pick me ups when I need a reminder of why I eat this way. Something Crystal noted in her blog that I want to spread around even more is a topic that has recently come up on Robb Wolf’s blog about the reversal of diabetes in a little girl. This story, as Crystal said, gives me chills. The basic story is a little girl was diagnosed Sept 10 of this year with type 1 diabetes and her family (including her) went completely paleo. Immediately after this the little girl’s blood sugar levels began to drop rapidly. As of Oct 19, this little girl’s doctor has concluded that she needs NO INSULIN and the family is currently awaiting antibody tests to determine whether or not the attack on her pancreas has slowed or stopped all together: “This REVERSAL of a life-threatening autoimmune disease is being mediated by a focus on food quality (paleo).” Interesting….

Food Has Amazing Destructive Power: Is it possible that grains, gluten, and dairy contributed to the development of this autoimmune disease. I would say yes. While there is some merit to autoimmune disorders being genetic, just because you have a gene doesn’t mean you will see it until it is EXPRESSED by your body. Food definitely has the power to express or not express genes, emotions, illness you name it. Do your own research. Books I love are Dangerous Grains, Good Calories, Bad Calories, The Omnivores Dilemma and The Unhealthy Truth.

If you still aren’t convinced read this letter to Robb Wolf about surviving a life threatening blood infection. Paleo will save your life. And I’m willing to bet it’ll help you fend off that H1N1 too.

If you want to find out more, need more elaboration on the 7 truths no one told you about food, please email me. I would love to help anyone, near or far, figure out how to achieve optimal health and how all this CAN FIT INTO YOUR LIFE.