Here's a recipe that has been a hit among challenge participants:
Serving Size: 1 Serving
Ingredients:
½ cup frozen strawberries
½ avocado
1½ tsp cacao powder
¾ cup coconut or almond milk
¼ tsp vanilla
raw honey or stevia to taste
Directions:
Blend all together and enjoy!
Photo Credit: Canva - Lilechka75 from Getty Images
Serving Size: 1 Serving
Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/3 green pepper, diced
2 Eggs
1/2 tomato, diced,
1/4 Avocado, sliced, for garnish
Directions:
Heat coconut oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the vegetables for 3-4 minutes or until tender. In a small bowl, whisk eggs.
Pour the eggs over the vegetables and stir. Stir frequently and scramble them in with the veggies. Season with salt and pepper, top with tomato and avocado. Enjoy!
Photo Credit: Canva - Rimma_Bondarenko from Getty Images
Serving Size: Serves 3
Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
1 red bell pepper, 2” chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 lemons
Salt and pepper, to taste
Italian seasoning
1/2 cup hummus, homemade or store-bought
2 Tbsp. dried rosemary
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. smoked paprika
A generous drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°. Prepare one large baking dish and lightly coat with olive oil. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
In a large bowl, toss the sliced zucchini, squash, pepper, and onion with olive oil until evenly coated. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Cover each chicken breast with 1 TB of hummus each. Then place on top of the vegetables. Place all vegetables on the bottom of a 9×13 dish in an even layer. Lay the chicken evenly on top. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the chicken and vegetables.
Lightly season the entire dish with chopped rosemary and paprika. Thinly slice the remaining lemon, and place a few thin slices in the dish.
Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the top, then bake for about 25-50 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve immediately. (I think this depends on the size of chicken breasts because this has taken me 25 mins and up to 50, so check the internal temperature) 👊 I usually cover with foil if I have it.
***I had a lot of "juice" at the bottom of this pan, so I put it in a freezer-safe glass jar and froze it. This will work great as a soup base later. I recommend you do the same. There's a lot of moisture in zucchini and the flavors are a great base.
Photo Credit: Canva - AnnaPustynnikova from Getty Images Pro
Serving Size: 6 servings
*inspired by civilizedcavemancooking.com
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into large chunks (about 2.5-3 pounds)
3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/2 pound raw bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 small apple, chopped
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. nutmeg
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees F. Toss squash and carrots with coconut oil. Place in a baking dish and roast uncovered for 35 minutes or until tender.
In a large stockpot over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside for the garnish. Add the onion and apple to the pot and sauté in bacon fat over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the roasted butternut squash, carrots, chicken broth, and coconut milk to the stockpot and bring to a boil, stirring often.
Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to blend your soup or working in several small batches, blend the soup in a food processor or blender until smooth.
Return to the stockpot, bring to a simmer and season with salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Serve soup in large bowls garnished with bacon! Enjoy.
Photo Credit: Canva by MarkSkalny by Getty Images
It's blueberry season in Colorado so it's the perfect time of year for this delicious summer salad:
Serving Size: 1 Serving
Ingredients:
1/2 cups quinoa, cooked
1/4 cup blueberries
1/2 large avocado, diced
1/4 cup pecans
Lime Basil Dressing:
1/4 TB extra virgin olive oil
1/4 TB maple syrup
A squeeze of fresh lime juice
1 TB basil, finely chopped
Himalayan Salt, to taste
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
In a large bowl - add quinoa, blueberries, and avocados.
In a small skillet, toast pecans on low-medium heat until lightly brown, about 4-5 minutes. Stir frequently and watch closely not to burn.
Transfer to a bowl with other ingredients.
In a small bowl, whisk together Lime Basil Dressing ingredients, pour over the salad and gently stir to combine. Serve cold.
Photo Credit: Canva - bdpsnimage
Oh, I’ve got a craving-buster recipe for you today that you are going to love.
It’s a breakfast recipe but it’s great for any time of the day.
That’s because it not only tastes great but has plenty of protein and fiber in it – which means it’s going to keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours.
Tip: you can swap out the feta for goat cheese if you don’t like feta. If you do opt for feta, check the label to make sure it’s made from sheep’s or goat’s milk (or a combo) – it’s delicious!
Serving Size: 4 servings
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Juice of 1 lime
2 big handfuls of spinach or kale
Hot sauce, to taste (or 505 green chili YUM!!!!- I buy this in bulk from Costco)
8 eggs, whisked
Splash of water (1-2 tsp)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1⁄2 cup feta cheese
Salsa (optional)
Sliced avocado (optional)
Directions:
In a medium pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. When it’s hot, add the pinto beans, and cook until heated.
Add the spinach and lime juice, stirring until the greens are beginning to wilt, and add 1-2 dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
While the beans are cooking, crack the eggs into a bowl and add the water, whisking well. Season with salt and pepper.
When the greens are wilted, add the eggs to the pan and stir. When they are almost fully done, sprinkle the cheese over the top and continue cooking until the eggs are set.
Serve with optional salsa and avocado!
Leftovers will keep for a couple of days in the fridge, making this a great make-ahead breakfast.
I hope you enjoy this! It’s a delicious way to start your day.
Photo Credit: Canva by carlosrojas20 from Getty Images
A healthier version of the traditional potato salad ( a great 4th of July side) or for CANADA DAY!!!!
I’ve made this recipe a bunch and it’s a great lower carb option, (I’m supposed to minimize my potato consumption according to my gut biome test). Last year I made it for my neighbors and the two 14-month-old twins even gobbled it up! I promise it is tasty!!! It would also be a great healthy option for a side on the Fourth of July!
Ingredients:
1 large head of cauliflower
4 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise -olive or avocado oil-based please (watch out for canola oil)
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 celery sticks chopped
1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
1 green onion, chopped (I used spring onion and chives from the garden)
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
****a fair amount of dill...I used fresh dill from the garden so I like to use a lot when it is fresh (see photo- I didn't measure...)
Directions:
Chop cauliflower into bits, place in steamer basket and place steamer basket in about an inch of boiling water.
Cover the pot and cook about 5 mins or until cauliflower is tender to the bite,
Rinse in cold water or place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process
Mash the eggs, and add mayonnaise and mustard in a large bowl
Fold in cauliflower and remaining ingredients
Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving
Enjoy!
Photo Credit: Saara
Serving Size: 1 Serving
Ingredients:
1 cup baby arugula, packed
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced thinly
1 pear (core removed & cut into ¼” chunks)
1/4 cup roasted walnuts (unsalted- see below for directions)
2 Tbsp. Balsamic Dressing (recipe page 3)
Add Sliced Turkey – if desired
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Next, whisk the oil and vinegar together in a small bowl before dressing the salad.
*Roasted Walnuts: Preheat the oven to 400F. Roast for 5-6 minutes on a baking sheet and keep a close eye to make sure they don’t burn.
Photo Credit: Canva by sergiimostovyia
Serving Size: 3
(Serve with my Mango Salsa recipe for last week)
Ingredients:
1 lb. salmon (Wild if possible)
2TB chipotle peppers in adobo sauce – chopped
1 TB + 1 tsp. wholegrain mustard
1 lime (just the zest)
1/2 lime (just the juice)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1TB extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds to combine. If no food processor available, finely dice the salmon in a large mixing bowl, combine everything together, and mix.
Divide into 3 burger patties
Preheat non-stick skillet on medium for 1 minute.
Drizzle olive oil and sear burgers for 3-4 minutes each side until golden brown. Enjoy!
Photo Credit: Canva - Fudio from Getty Images Pro
Ingredients:
Large jar turkey bouillon and turkey (possibly leftover from Thanksgiving)
3 shallot chopped
4 cloves garlic (regular humans use 2..garlic lovers 4) garlic minced or grated
1 inch ginger minced or grated
1.5 TBSP red curry paste sub green curry
salt and pepper to taste
15 oz canned coconut cream
1 TBSP curry powder (i used spicy)
1 TBSP tumeric
1.5 TBSP soy sauce
8 oz mushrooms sliced
1-2 limes chopped in wedges
1 bunch cilantro chopped, for soup and garnish
2 tsp sriracha optional if you like heat, plus more to taste
Half can crushed or diced tomatoes. Could also use fresh if you have em
Optional 6oz rice noodles
I also had kale stems so I chopped them up in there. Look around your kitchen, check your fridge and freezer - can you sneak another veggie in here? The flavor is so great you won't mind more fiber ;). Red peppers would also probably be a good addition too...you could add them raw at the end for a crunch or in the boil with the mushrooms 🍄
Directions:
Put coconut cream in the freezer
Chop veggies
Add your frozen bullion with turkey to a pot over medium heat
Chop veggies and add to the pan
Add water to barely cover all veggies
Add spices and ginger
Remove coconut from the freezer, scoop off cream into a separate container for coffee cream or another recipe later....or add the full can including cream if you want a really rich soup
Once it boils turn it to 2-3 (low) for an hour
Add soup to bowl and add chopped cilantro and lime to taste
Photo Credit: Canva - vkstudio
