Choosing Health Now!

Check out my latest recipe video series!

Steak & Pesto

This was a yummy spur of the moment one-pot-wonder!

Ingredients:

• 1.5-2 lbs grass-fed skirt steak (if you love a lot of steak, go for 2 lbs)…also, I bet this meal would be AWESOME with chicken
• 1 package kelp noodles
• 1 package organic pesto sauce (I use Rising Sun Farms Basil & Garlic pesto. It’s tasty & gluten-free)
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T butter (optional)
• Parmesan cheese to top (optional)

How to:

1. Drain the kelp noodles and chop in half so that noodles aren’t super long. Add to large skillet or pot along with olive oil and butter (omit for dairy intolerance) and pesto sauce. Cover and heat on low for 10 minutes to soften noodles.
2. Turn heat up to medium-low. Cut up skirt steak into bite-size pieces and add to skillet. Add zucchini slices. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until meat is to desired doneness (only takes 5 minutes for medium-rare).
3. Add spinach and turn off heat. Keep covered and let spinach wilt for a couple minutes. Serve and top with Parmesan cheese (optional). Enjoy!

Kale Chips

Make your own amazing kale chips at home for a fraction of the cost of store bought chips. Here’s the quick how-to video.

Healthy Ranch Dressing

Making your own dressing is EASY and delicious. Watch this quick how-to video and enjoy nutritionally superior ranch dressing!

Salmon Avocado Seaweed Wraps

Nutritious Delicious is happy to bring you the 7th and final breakfast of our series. These wraps are a quick and easy way to get 2 servings of veggies, healthy protein, antioxidants, and essential omega-3 fats. Enjoy our video here.

Ingredients:

1 Can Wild Pacific red salmon (packed in water)

1 Avocado

1 Package small Nori wraps or several large Nori sheets (we used Sea’s Gift Korean Seaweed)

1/4 lemon

Sea salt, garlic powder, and parsley to taste

How to:

Empty the entire can of salmon into your bowl, including the liquid, skin, and small bones. Add the entire avocado. Add about 1 tsp lemon juice and seasoning. Smush (yes, that is a technical term) it all together with a fork. Spoon it onto your nori paper and roll it up. Enjoy!

Why Nori?

We use Nori wraps instead of bread or tortilla because Nori is hypoallergenic (unlike wheat) and very low in carbs. Nori also contains Iodine, an essential nutrient that is critical for healthy thyroid function and not in many foods.

Why Wild Salmon?

As we mentioned, farmed or “Atlantic” salmon is highly toxic and contains chemicals like PCB’s and Dioxins which have a negative impact on hormonal health. Wild salmon is one of the cleanest fish available and one of the few foods that contain essential Omega 3 fats an an easily absorbable form.

For more info on seafood and toxins check out the Environmental Working Group’s Safe Fish List.

In health,

Rebecca & Holly

Low-carb cereal

Make your own gluten-free, low carb cereal by combining coconut flakes, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds and goji berries in a bowl with raw cream and milk. Give the chia seeds a minute or two to expand and soften. This cereal is delicious and the nuts, seeds and fruit can be varied for an equally delicious breakfast option. One of our favorites is to throw in a handful of fresh blueberries when they are in season.

Liver Mousse
I don’t care if you haven’t historically liked liver. With enough butter and cream, even cardboard would taste good. And by the way, liver is WAY more nutritious than cardboard. It ranks at the top of superfoods, is full of vitamins D & A and several B’s, high in all nine essential amino acids, iron, and antioxidants: So don’t knock this recipe till you’ve tried it! Oh and by the way, babies LOVE liver mousse. Seriously.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs free-range chicken livers
• 3 T organic grass-fed butter
• 2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1.5 cups organic heavy cream (even better, use raw cream)
• 1 tsp sea salt

*This recipe is adapted from Julia Childs’.

How To:

1. Saute chicken livers in butter on low heat for about 5 minutes or until chicken livers are still slightly pink inside.
2. Transfer to a food processor and puree.
3. Pour liver puree back into the pan (low to medium heat) and add cream, salt, and spices, stirring occasionally. It’s done once the cream has thickened slightly, but don’t cook it till it is thick. It’s best when it’s a slightly soupy. Do a little taste test. if it doesn’t taste awesome yet, add a little more cream and/or butter. I’m only half joking when I recommend adding butter and cream until it tastes good.

This mousse is incredibly high in healthy fats and is great for protein type metabolic types. If you aren’t someone who does well with higher amounts of protein and fat, I’d advise enjoying smaller portions of this moussey goodness.

Great with any meal, as a dip for veggies or on its own. Good hot or cold.

Grainless Lasagna
As I write this blog, I have a belly full of this delicious meal. A scrumptious blend of meat, veg, cheese and spices makes this meal nutritious, satisfying, super low-carb, gluten-free, and total comfort food.
Amounts of ingredients aren’t critical. Customize this recipe to your preferences. If you like a lot of meat, or more vegetables, or more/less cheese, go for it! It’ll be awesome.

Ingredients:
3 lbs grass-fed meat (beef, lamb, pork, chicken turkey…whatever you prefer. I used beef and a teeny bit of ground organ meat)
1 head green cabbage
2 cups raw organic spinach
1 zucchini
1/2 cup cubed shitake mushrooms
1.5 cups of organic full-fat ricotta cheese or cottage cheese (or a blend of the two)
1 cup full-fat shredded mozzarella (Greenbank Farms brand if you can)
1/2 cup pepperjack cheese (Raw Greenbank Farms brand if you can)
1/2 cup organic Parmesan cheese
1 can sliced black olives
1 large bell pepper (I used orange, but any of them will taste good)
1 large can (28 ounces) of organic crushed tomatoes
About 1 tsp each of rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, fennel seed
2 large cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper

How To:

1. Cut the head of cabbage in half and slice off the bottom to remove stem. Place in a steamer basket in a large pot with a few cups of water and steam until tender on medium heat (about 25 mins).
2. While cabbage is cooking, cube up shitakes, bell pepper and zucchini.
3. In a large skillet, crumble all the meat, add spices and garlic. Cook on medium heat. After a few minutes, add the bell pepper to the skillet so that it seasons the meat. Mmmm. Cook till medium doneness (don’t overcook!).
4. Once the cabbage is done (let it cool for a minute or two so you don’t burn your fingers), peel the leaves off one by one and place in the bottom of a huge glass baking dish. And pre-heat the oven to 350 while you’re at it.
5. Then layer everything however you like. Cabbage, meaty goodness, some crushed tomatoes, ricotta or cottage cheese, spinach, more meat, zucchini, some cheese…you get the idea.

When you run out of everything, top it with any remaining cheese and sprinkle some more herbs on top to make it pretty. Then stick it in the oven at 350 for an hour.
Enjoy!

Healthy Halloween cider
Spiced apple cider is such a classic holiday beverage. It tastes great, makes the whole house smell good…but did you know that 1 cup of this stuff contains close to 30 grams of sugar?! Ouch. That’s not very helpful for maintaining balanced blood sugar, a strong immune system or a trim waistline.

Using the recipe for fresh ginger tea from local Ayurvedic chef Talya Lutzker’s cookbook as a base, I came up with a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional spiced apple cider.

Witch’s Brew

• 4 cups filtered water
• 2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and cut into thin slices
• 1 organic medium-sized apple (pick your favorite sweet apple), cut into medium slices
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 tsp clove
• 1/2 tsp grass-fed ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 tsp raw honey (optional in mug)

Bring all ingredients to a simmer in a medium pot for 15 minutes. Serve in small mugs (serves 4). Add ghee and stir well. The ghee gives it fuller body and sweetens it slightly. For additional sweetness, add a teaspoon of raw honey to your mug. Adding a teaspoon of raw honey only adds 4 grams of sugar, a dramatic difference to other ciders.

Witch’s Brew is also great for strengthening digestion (ginger and cinnamon).

If cooking really isn’t your thing and you’d still like to enjoy a low-sugar holiday beverage, New Leaf Community Markets has several comparable options at their juice bar/cafe including a chai (a water rather than tea-based chai, which tastes similar to the Witch’s Brew).

Happy Halloween!
Continue reading on Examiner.com 

Christmas in a bowl
I came up with this delicious combo recently. It’s low carb, high protein, healthy fat, full of antioxidants and easy to customize!

Combine about half a cup of full-fat organic cottage cheese with 1 or more tablespoons of coconut butter, and a handful each of pumpkin seeds and goji berries in a bowl. Perhaps I was feeling nostalgic–the white cottage cheese and coconut butter, green pumpkin seeds and red goji berries…looks like Christmas.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Custard

• 4 large eggs from pastured chickens
• 1 15 oz. can pumpkin
• 1/2 cup heavy cream OR full fat coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 40 drops vanilla creme stevia extract
• 1 tsp blackstrap molasses
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into glass pie dish and bake at 350 for 35 mins (center should be just slightly jiggly). Let cool before serving. Delicious warm or cold…and especially great with fresh whipped cream! Watch the Nutritious Delicious cooking video here.

Gluten-free dessert crust

This crust is SO easy and yummy, has virtually no carbs and is gluten-free! Check out the video here.

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces finely chopped pecans
• 1.5 T melted butter (organic, grass-fed)

How to:

• Place chopped nuts in glass pie dish, drizzle butter over them and spread evenly in dish. That’s it!! Enjoy

Meatball Soup

This recipe is very customizable! Make about 6 quarts of beef stock in advance (cook beef bones in a large pot of water for 12 hours with a little vinegar or lemon juice to help release the minerals from the bones).

Use whatever blend of ground meats you prefer (beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork, buffalo, venison, ostrich, goat). I used the following ingredients, but this soup is delicious no matter what!

Ingredients for meatballs:

Mix the following in a large bowl:

1.5 pounds grass-fed beef

1 pound pastured pork

1 pound ground “pet food” (ground beef and ground organ meat)

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

1-2 T italian herbs (blend of rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil)

1 T red chili flakes

1/2 tsp fennel seed

Optional, egg to bind the meatballs if they seem dry when you are forming them.

Form golfball sized meatballs and drop into soup stock, medium heat. Add a large can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, 1 bunch of italian parsley (finely chooped), chives or onion and garlic to your tasting preference (it’s also perfectly tasty without them). Add your favorite vegetables, chopped into bite-sized pieces and cook for 45 mins. For the last 10 minutes its cooking, add some spinach or other leafy greens (kale, chard, mustard greens, turnip greens, beet greens).

Veggies: 2 large carrots, 4 stalks celery, 1 zucchini, 1 large red bell pepper, mushrooms.

Serve in a bowl and top with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Sugar-free Chocolate Mousse

This is the first Nutritious Delicious video in a series of sugar-free dessert series. We were inspired to do this series by our many patients and clients who want to get off of sugar but feel challenged by doing so. Our hope is that by having healthy sweet alternatives that getting and staying off of sugar will be an easier and more sustainable process.  We hope you enjoy making and eating this mousse as much as we do.

Ingredients: 

8 oz grass-fed organic whipping cream (We like Kalona brand. Bonus if you get raw cream. )

2 Tbsp raw unsweetened cacao powder

2-6 drops flavored liquid stevia (We used vanilla cream but other options are – toffee, raspberry, valencia orange. Liquid is much easier to use than powdered.)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional toppings: cacao nibs, nuts, raspberries, orange zest

Serves 2

How to:

Place all ingredients into a large bowl and whip it good! We prefer using a hand blender (so much easier to use and clean) but you could also use a regular blender or food processor. Whip for a minute (or less) until desired consistency is reached. Start on a low speed to avoid powdered cacao explosion! Chill for 1+ hour and enjoy!

Why Stevia?

Stevia is a very sweet-tasting herb that is gaining popularity for use as a sugar-substitute. It is chemical-free and now comes in a variety of flavors. Stevia is a great alternative to sugar because unlike other sweeteners (even honey and agave) it does not raise your blood glucose (blood sugar) when you consume it. On the contrary, it actually supports your pancreas in insulin and glucose metabolism.

Try it in sugar-free desserts, coffee, or tea and see if you can feel the difference. Remember, when using Stevia – less is more! Start with a couple of drops and then gradually increase to your taste preferences. 

More info about Stevia here

Purchase flavored Stevia here 

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Peaches & Cream

This is part 2 of our Nutritious Delicious sugar-free dessert series. This recipe can be made vegan and requires no added sweeteners. It’s a perfect guilt-free summer treat!  See the video here.

Ingredients:

1 organic peach

1 tbsp butter or coconut oil

2-3 tbsp coconut cream

1/4 cup walnuts, slivered almonds, or even our low carb granola

Dash of cinnamon

How to:

Melt butter or oil on low-medium heat. Add peach slices and cook for about 5 minutes until peach is soft. Remove from heat and add coconut cream. Coconut cream is the thick coconut milk that comes in canned coconut milk. Add walnuts and cinnamon. Enjoy!

Why is it a MUST to use organic peaches?

In the video we mention that peaches are in the Dirty Dozen. This is a list compiled by the Environmental Working Group of the top 12 most toxic fruits and vegetables. Be sure to always buy these foods organic. The Clean 15 is the list of least toxic fruits and vegetables. If you can’t afford to or don’t have access to 100% organic, the clean 15 are safer to eat than many other conventionally farmed fruits and vegetables.

New York Cheesecake with Stevia

This cheesecake is incredible and there is no sugar!!

Ingredients

Crust: 8 ounces pecans, chopped or ground

1 1/2 T melted butter (optional, add 1 T flour)

Filling: 3 (8 ounce) packages organic cream cheese

1 cup organic sour cream

2 eggs

3-4 T vanilla, can also add 2 scraped vanilla beans

35-50 drops liquid vanilla stevia (taste after mixed and add more if you like)

2 T corn starch

Optional: 3/4 cup frozen or fresh organic blueberries

Directions

1. Place chopped or ground pecans into the bottom of a round glass baking pan and drizzle melted butter over them.
2. In a large bowl, mix all other ingredients thoroughly and taste for sweetness (only if you use high quality eggs).
3. Pour in baking pan over crust and bake for 45-60 minutes at 300 degrees until firm in center and then refrigerate till cooled, preferably overnight.

*Optional, if you use organic, pastured eggs, this dessert is DELICIOUS raw! Put a small amount of crust into individual dessert bowls or glasses and pour custardy mixture over the top and enjoy immediately.

*Other options are to use another nut, like almonds or walnuts for the crust or add blueberries or chocolate into the mix

Topping: melt 6 ounces of organic bakers chocolate in a pot on low heat until melted, add stevia or Truvia until preferred sweetness is achieved (10-15 drops or 4-6 packages Truvia) and then add fresh or frozen blueberries. Spoon onto top of cheesecake right before serving. Oh my goodness, so good!

Banana Pudding with Whipped Cream & Toasted Walnuts

This little treasure of a dessert was created spur of the moment for Father’s Day and turned out great the first time. The only sugar in this recipe is from the bananas. The fats in the cream and walnuts help balance it out and keep your blood sugar from spiking.

Banana Pudding with Whipped Cream & Toasted Walnuts

Ingredients:

2 large medium-ripe bananas

2 T. organic butter

2 drops vanilla stevia

1 pint organic whipping cream

2 handfuls chopped walnuts

Directions:

Put butter in a medium saucepan and add bananas by breaking them into bite size pieces. Add stevia and put lid on. Cook on low heat for 2-5 mins or until bananas are completely softened. Mix thoroughly and spoon into 2 bowls. Use a hand mixer and mix whipping cream and a couple drops of vanilla stevia in a large bowl. In a small pan, lightly toast the walnuts with a little butter. Top banana pudding with whipped cream and walnuts. Serve warm.

Cinnamon Ginger Panna Cotta with Stevia

Meaty Tater Pie

3lbs grass-fed ground beef (optional, substitue 1 lb of grd. beef with “pet food” from U.S. Wellness Meats–a blend of ground beef and ground organ meats)

3 organic russet potatoes

1 large head organic cauliflower

1 bunch parsely, finely chopped

1/2 yellow onion

4 tbsp. organic butter

1/2 cup organic whole milk

1.5 cups organic swiss cheese, grated

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. each of thyme, coriander, cumin, and rosemary

1/8 tsp. cinnamon and paprika

In two separate pots, cook cauliflower and potatoes and mash up with 2 tbs. butter and a 1/4 cup  milk. Set aside. Crumble ground beef into a large pan with a little olive oil. Add onion (leave in large chunks if you want to remove after cooking or cut finely if leaving it in), parsley, and all herbs and spices. Cook on med-low heat until meat is brown.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large rectangular glass dish, spread mashed cauliflower evenly so it covers the entire bottom. Then, dump the ground beef mixture as the second layer (if you do well with more fat in your diet, include the drippings. If not, strain off). Sprinkle half the swiss cheese on. Then add the mashed potato layer. Add the rest of the cheese on top. Bake for 15 mins or until cheese is melted.

Italian Potroast

3 lb. 100% grass-fed chuck roast
1 large can of organic diced tomatoes
2-3 tbs. olive oil
2 bay leaves
4 tbs. mixed herbs (pick your favorites…I use rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and tarragon)
Sea salt and pepper
Root veggies of your choice…I use 2 medium parsnips and 2 zuchhini squash
1/2 cup organic Parmesan cheese
2 cups red wine

In a large pot, brown the roast on both sides using olive oil. Add salt and pepper as its browning. Next, add the can of tomatoes, juice and all, over medium heat. Add cheese, herbs and bay leaves and cook for 1 hour. Then, add the red wine and cook on low heat for 3 hours or so until the meat is falling apart. Add root veggies and cook for another 30 minutes. Delicious!

Duck Egg Eggnog
6 duck eggs
2 cups raw and/or organic milk
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp.-1 tsp. nutmeg (fresh is best!)
20 drops liquid stevia or 1/2 cup sugar (try coconut sugar, lower in fructose)

Duck egg nog, fresh nutmeg

Beat eggs till frothy. Add stevia or sugar, nutmeg and vanilla, still whisking strongly. Slowly stir in cream and milk. Chill in refrigerator and serve cold. Delicious!

Cream of Ham Soup

Wondering what to do with your leftover ham dinner? My husband and I made this yummy soup.

1 hambone with about 2 cups of meat left on it (or buy a small ham 2-3 lbs)
2 large carrots
4 stalks of celery
2 large russet potatoes
4 cups organic milk
1 pound organic sharp shedder cheese
1/2 pound organic salted butter
1/2 cup organic full-fat sour cream
1 cup coconut flour

Fill a large pot halfway with water and put hambone in it. Cook on medium heat with the lid on for 6 hours.
Chill overnight. Cook on low heat for another 4 hours, remove bones, then add chopped up carrots, celery and potatoes. In another pot, melt butter and whisk in milk and coconut flour. Add the cheddar cheese. When cheese is melted, mix into the pot of soup. Add the sour cream last and stir it all up. Cook on low for another half-hour. Depending on your preference, you may want to cook it longer to thicken it further. Add a dash of salt and pepper (to your liking) and enjoy!

Healthy Chocolate Milkshake

Who says that pregnancy cravings have to be unhealthy?

Serves: 1.5
1 cup whole raw milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2-3 teaspoons raw cacao powder
6 drops liquid chocolate stevia
Ice (3/4 cup)

A delicious option is to add a small, barely ripe banana to this mixture. If you don’t tolerate carbs well, leave it out.

Blend in a blender and enjoy!

Protein Pancakes

Hi everyone! I just got this fabulous recipe from Healing Gourmet and wanted to share it with all of you who love pancakes but don’t love out of control blood sugar. I have made some modifications. Enjoy!

Time To Table: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
Excellent Source of: Magnesium, Protein, Vitamin E, Riboflavin

Good Source of: Calcium, Fiber, Iron, Selenium, Zinc
Ingredients
3 large organic chicken or 2 duck eggs (pasture-raised is best!)

1 cup almond flour

1 tsp. organic vanilla extract (optional)

1/2 tsp. sea salt (optional)

2-4 tsps. coconut oil…my husband and I find that they are fluffier with 4 tsps.

Preparation
Add all ingredients to a medium mixing bowl. Mix with a fork or whisk until smooth. Heat a safe, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Melt coconut oil in pan and then pour into mix. Pour batter into pan to make pancakes (silver dollar-sized work best). Cook about 1 minute per side; flip. Continue making batches and adding oil as needed.

Nutrition Information per Serving
285 calories, 24 g fat, 13 g monounsaturated fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 5 g polyunsaturated fat, 159 mg cholesterol, 53 mg sodium. 9 carbohydrates, 2 g sugars, 5 g fiber, 12 g protein

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Prep: 10 min, Cook: 35 min.

1 sun dried tomato, packed in oil or dried
1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/4 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 tsp. parsley, minced
1 boneless skinless chicken breast half, about 1/4 lb. each
toothpick
2 Tbs. seasoned breadcrumbs
If using dried tomatoes, cover with boiling water in a bowl. Let stand 5 minutes and drain. Finely chop tomatoes. Press excess liquid from spinach and combine with tomatoes and remaining ingredients, except chicken and breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place chicken breasts between two sheets of wax paper and pound lightly with a mallet or other heavy flat object to flatten slightly. Divide spinach mixture into equal portions and spread over each chicken breast. Roll up chicken breasts and secure with toothpicks. Roll in breadcrumbs. Arrange chicken in a shallow pan and bake 35-40 minutes, or until chicken is opaque throughout. Remove toothpicks before serving.
Per serving: calories 293, fat 5.1g, 16% calories from fat, cholesterol 111mg, protein 45.9g, carbohydrates 14.0g, fiber 2.6g, sugar 0.9g, sodium 566mg, diet points 6.3.

Compliments of mealsforyou.com

*For protein types, use chicken thighs instead of breasts, use less breadcrumbs and more butter.

Rebecca’s Meatloaf

2 lbs. grass-fed ground beef (75-80% lean)

1 pound ground organ meat (I prefer the “pet food” from US Wellness Meats)

3 tbs. steel cut oats (*optional & preferably soaked ahead of time)

4 tbs. organic ketchup OR tomato sauce

2 tsp. each basil, cayenne pepper, oregano, rosemary and thyme

1 tsp. sea salt

Mix contents into a large bowl thoroughly while preheating the oven to 375 degrees. When mixed, press into a glass cooking dish so it is level. Bake uncovered for 1 hour and enjoy!

This meatloaf is also quite tasty with cut up veggies inside so feel free to add a bit of mushroom, carrot, bell pepper or whatever your healthy heart desires.