Strawberry Banana and Greens Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened coconut/almond milk
12 strawberries
1 banana
1/2 cup frozen shaved brussel sprouts (I buy the packaged ones from Trader Joes or Super Target and throw them in the freezer)
1 cup spinach
1 Tablespoon almond butter
1 large medjool date

Directions:

Blend everything well in a high powered blender (I use my vitamix), and trick your family into eating those greens! They will never know you added in brussel sprouts. It just tastes like berries! Win win!

Strawberry Chia Lemonade

Ingredients:

10 Strawberries
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cups water
1/4 cup honey, or more to taste
4 tablespoons chia seeds

Directions:

Add 4 Tablespoons of chia seeds to one cup of water and let it chill in the fridge overnight. After the chia seeds have swelled overnight, boil one cup of water and add honey to dissolve. In your blender add strawberries, lemon juice, 1 cup water, and the water with dissolved honey, and blend well. Mix in the chia seed water without blending, or blend it in as well.

Super Moist Pancakes

This is my husband's recipe

Ingredients:

1 banana

2 eggs

3.17 oz unsweetened cinnamon apple sauce (1 of those food pouches we buy for our daughter)

1/4 cup almond milk

3 heaping Tablespoons of coconut flour

Mix together well and slowly pour a few tablespoons worth or up to 1/4 cup batter onto greased skillet. The amount you pour will determine the size and how many pancakes you can make from the batter. We made 6 pancakes from this batter amount. Cook for about 2 min, or until the pancake is golden. You know its ready to flip when bubbles form and pop around the edges. Cook the other side until golden and remove from the skillet. Stack and layer your pancakes with fresh fruit and top with maple syrup, and then enjoy every. single. bite! 

Coconut Mango Chia Pudding

Ingredients:

1 can light coconut milk
1/3 cup chia seeds (I never use to measure, but I did this time, and its exactly 1/3 cup)
3 Tablespoons unsweetened coconut
4 Tablespoons maple syrup

1 Mango

Directions:

In a tupperware container, mix together all the ingredients (except mango) really well. Seal it, and place your pudding mixture in the refrigerator to set overnight. In the morning, slice your mango. Place some mango pieces at the bottom of your serving dish. Next, layer with some chia pudding, and repeat until desired amount. Its so yummy! I know you will enjoy it!!

Evergreen Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 banana
2-2 1/2 cups frozen spinach
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Directions:

Add all the ingredients to a high powered blender, and blend on high until well combined.

Butternut Squash "Rice"

Ingredients:

4 cups cubed butternut squash
1 T ghee
1/2 onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
pepper to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions:

Heat the ghee in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt (saving the other teaspoon for later). Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 min or until slightly caramelized.

In batches, place the cubed squash in a food processor or high speed blender (I use my vitamix). Pulse until it reaches a rice like consistency. I blend on a medium setting until I get the same result.

Add the squash, garlic powder and the other teaspoon of salt to the pan with caramelized onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes.  Stir in the cup of water and continuing stirring occasionally for about 10 min. Add more water if necessary. Then reduce heat and cover and cook for about 15-20 min, or until the squash is tender but not soggy.  Once cooked, serve immediately and enjoy!

Chocolate Melting Mug Cake

This is how I like to get chocolate wasted! Its SO rich and chocolatey! It only takes a min to cook, and is any chocolate lovers dream.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 T almond flour
1 T arrow root, tapioca flour, or potato starch
1 T enjoy life chocolate chips (if you are feeling extra naughty add an extra tsp)
1 T cocoa
3 T unsweetened almond milk
2 T honey/maple syrup
1 T ghee

Mix everything together well in a mug or small ramekin and microwave for only 1 min. I add the ghee last. Because there are no eggs in it, you do not need to worry about it being undercooked. If its too runny for you, microwave in 15 sec intervals after that. 1 min should give you a little lava action in the middle leaving most of it cooked. You don't want to overcook it!

4 Ingredient Waffles

Makes 1 waffle

Ingredients:

1/2 a banana

2 eggs

3 oz unsweetened applesauce

1 T coconut flour

dash of cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

Mash the banana really well with a fork, before adding the other ingredients. Then mix everything together and pour into your greased waffle iron.

Easy, healthy, and delish!

Favorite Ground Beef Tacos

Who doesn't love Taco Tuesday? These tacos are always a hit at our house. This ground beef when paired with cholula hot sauce is a match made in heaven.

Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin, optional (see note below)
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander, optional (see note below)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 4 oz can green chilies

Cholula hot sauce for topping is not optional at this house. We also top ours with tomatoes, salsa, and avocado.

*If you don't have coriander, don't fret. You need either cumin or coriander, and if you have both cumin and coriander put it in. Basically it will still taste great with one, but both is better. I ran out of cumin last night, and it still tasted great without it.

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DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil and chopped onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat into smaller chunks, until it is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Turn of the heat, and drain the grease from the meat.
2. Return the skillet to medium heat and stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt and pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds and then add the tomato sauce and chilies. Turn the heat to low and simmer the meat mixture for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve in lettuce leaves with your choice of toppings.

Rosemary Roasted Drumsticks with Roasted Grapes

Roasting isn't just for turkey folks! I just updated my grape mojo and can't believe I've been missing out on roasted grapes my whole life! They are SO good b/c they are SO sweet. Think little jam balls in your mouth! This dish is elegant and super tasty. My family couldn't get enough of the chicken.


Ingredients:

2lbs chicken drumsticks
1 1/2 cups red grapes
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon rosemary

Marinade:
1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon ground mustard
pinch of salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ghee

Directions:

Place drumsticks in marinade (I use a ziploc bag) and place it in the fridge for a couple hours or over night. I did mine over night. The ghee will turn solid and stick to the chicken.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the salt, pepper and rosemary on top of chicken (I salted both sides, and probably used a little more than a teaspoon).

Roast chicken for 10 minutes. Add grapes to the baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes more.

Strawberry Lemon Broccoli Slaw

This salad screams summer! Its so delicious and light and would be a perfect dish to take to a potluck. This picture doesn't do it justice. It looks so pretty in person.

Ingredients:
1 12oz pkg of Broccoli Slaw (found at most grocery stores)
11 strawberries, chopped
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup coconut cream (I use the canned coconut cream from Trader Joe's, but you can turn a can of coconut milk upside down and leave it in the fridge for a couple days, and then use the cream at the top)
4 dates
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2-1 Tablespoon lemon juice (If you are not a lemon person use just 1/2 T and then it won't have much of a lemon flavor. 1 T is perfect to me. You can always mix the other 1/2 Tablespoon in later)

Directions:

Place dates and 1/4 cup water in blender, and blend until smooth. I use my magic bullet for this one, and let the dates soak for a while before blending. After the dates and water have formed a paste, add coconut cream and almond milk and blend until combined well. Stir in lemon juice.

In a large bowl place all other ingredients (broccoli slaw, strawberries, raisins & pecans) and mix to combine.

Add dressing to the salad and mix until all the ingredients are coated well.

Eggs Benedict

This is one of my favorite things to make for breakfast. Check out my recipe for sweet potato toast here. I buy already cooked ham and just heat it up, and make some poached eggs.

Here is how I make the asparagus:

Preheat oven to 375. Wash asparagus and then trim the ends. Line a baking sheet with foil and lay asparagus on baking sheet, leaving space between each piece. Bake for 15 mins.

Here is the recipe use for the hollandaise sauce. Recipe is adapted from thewholesmiths. All ingredients are the same, except I use Cholula instead of Tobasco,  and we blend it a little differently.

Ingredients:
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup ghee, melted
1 Tbsp lemon juice
couple shakes of Cholula hot sauce

Add eggs, lemon juice and cholula to blender and blend on medium until sauce begins to thicken. Once sauce is thickened, slowly add hot ghee (a little at a time) while blender is set to low, after all the ghee is added, turn to medium low and continue to blend until thick. It will take a little while.

Salted Caramel Brownies

These brownies look richer than they really are. They are just the right amount of sweet. The best part is that they are totally guilt free, and I am here to tell you that I ate way more than I should without feeling sick afterwards. The topping is what makes them. You might want to lick your vitamix clean too. My husband called them delicious and nutritious, but said you can tell these are healthy. If you are looking for a yummy guilt free treat this is for you. If you are looking for something rich, heavy, and sugary this might not be sweet enough for you.

Ingredients:

Brownie:

1/3 cup ghee

8 oz unsweetened apple sauce

1 ripe banana, mashed

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup almond flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/2 cup chocolate chips (enjoy life are dairy free)

1/3 cup coconut sugar

1 capful vanilla

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup chopped pecans or other nut (optional)

Sea Salt Caramel Topping:

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp pink himalayan salt

1 Tablespoon ghee

1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

13 dates

1 tsp lemon juice

Crushed pecans (for topping)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stir ghee, apple sauce, mashed banana, eggs, almond milk, vanilla, flour, sugar, and salt together by hand (without a mixer). Blend together well.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using). Pour into a 7x11 or 9 x9 oiled baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

While brownies are baking, make your topping.

In a high speed blender combine cinnamon, salt, ghee, almond milk, dates, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth or creamy. I do this just fine in my vitamix. If you do not have a high powered blender, soak the dates in some water for at least an hour. This will help them get soft, and will make them easier to blend.

After the brownies have cooled, spread on caramel topping and add crushed pecans.

Delicious Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 onion, diced (small dice)
1 red or green bell pepper, diced (small dice)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp basil
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 lb ground beef/chuck
1/2 lb ground italian sausage (If doing whole30 check labels or make your own) Mulay's is compliant but expensive. The clothes Makes the Girl has a good recipe for italian sausage seasoning that you just add to ground pork.

Sauce ingredients:
6 oz can tomato paste
1/3 cup water
8 dates, pitted
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 tsp cinnamon


Directions:


Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, combine egg, onion, pepper, milk, flour, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, italian seasoning, ground beef, and italian sausage really well. Place in greased loaf pan. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a high powered blender, and blend until smooth. Spread on top of meatloaf. Bake for 1 hour. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

I love experimenting in the kitchen. Usually I use butternut squash to make soup, or noodles, but I decided to make a sauce this time, and it turned out so yummy!

It made about 3 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1/2 cup coconut milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. On a large baking sheet lined with foil, toss the butternut squash cubes with the avocado oil, salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Bake until the butternut squash is tender and just starting to brown in places (About 25-30 min depending on your oven)
4. Let the squash cool for about 10 minutes.
5. Transfer the squash to a heavy-duty blender (I use my vitamix), and add the chicken broth, coconut milk, and rosemary. Puree until smooth. 
6. Add the balsamic vinegar and pulse to combine.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with spiralized noodles and enjoy!

Spiralized Potato Noodles:

Serves one

Peel and spiralize 1 potato. Heat 1/2 tbs of avocado oil over medium heat. Add your spiralized noodles and season with salt and pepper. Saute until potato softens (about 10-15 min). Top with cooked pasta sauce.

Raspberry Bliss Balls

Makes 12-14 balls

Ingredients:

1/4 cup pecans

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup dried plums

1/2 cup freeze dried raspberries (from trader joes)

1/4 cup almond butter

2 tablespoons unsweetend coconut flakes

12 dates

Directions: 

Blitz all ingredients in a food processor until combined. Process for a bit longer than you think necessary as it makes the texture nicer. Roll into balls and store in the fridge.

Flat Belly Smoothie

This smoothie is packed with ingredients that fight belly fat and reduce bloating. 

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen spinach 

3/4 cup almond milk

1 cup blueberries

1 cup fresh pineapple

1/2 of one banana

10 ice cubes

Directions:

Place everything in your blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

*spinach helps you feel full (because of its high fiber content) and can stop you from overeating, it is a good source of calcium which helps your muscles contract, and it is super low in calories!

* almonds are helpful because they help stabilize blood sugar, are also high in fiber, and because of their ability to block calories and help you lose weight.

* blueberries have been shown to help diminish belly fat

*Pineapple contains and enzyme that helps ease digestions and banish bloat

*Bananas are full of antioxidants and fiber. People tend to stay away from them because of their high sugar intake, so I only added half. They also speed up digestion and elimination.

Shrimp and Asparagus One Pan Meal

Ingredients:
1/2 pound asparagus, tough ends removed
1 pound cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon Ghee
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Trader Joes 21 Seasoning Salute

Directions:
Toss shrimp with ghee, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and set aside. Add two teaspoons of ghee to pan. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add asparagus and pepper slices and cook 3-5 min. Add shrimp and cook 2 more minutes or until heated through. Turn off heat and season with Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute.

Easy and Delicious Crockpot BBQ Ribs

Ingredients:

Rack of Baby Back Ribs

Rib Rub:
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon granulated garlic
1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
1 Tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chile powder
*Mix everything together

BBQ Sauce:
6oz tomato paste
4 Tablespoons ghee, melted
3 Tablespoons Franks hot sauce
5 Tablespoons apple juice (100% no sugar added)
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons yellow mustard (check labels)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
5 dates, pitted
*Combine everything in blender, until well combined. I use my vitamix.


Make your rib rub and BBQ sauce first. Then rub your ribs with the rib rub mixture. Use your fingers to rub the mixture into the meaty side of the ribs. Next, place your ribs in the crockpot with the meaty side against the inside crockpot wall.
Then cover ribs with your homemade BBQ sauce or 2-3 cups of your favorite store bought sauce (Tessemae's is Whole30 approved).
Turn the crockpot on low and cook for 4-5 hours  (check after 4 hours).
You want to cook the ribs until the meat is falling off the bone. Remove ribs from the crockpot and let them sit for 5-10 minutes. I place them on a large serving tray or just a baking sheet (cover with foil). Then cut the ribs apart by cutting between the bones in the meaty section. Pour leftover sauce over ribs and enjoy!

Tuna Boats

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper

1 can albacore tuna (I buy mine from Costco and they are bigger cans)

1 Tablespoon mustard

chopped pickles (I cut up two sandwich stacker dill pickles)

handful of chopped red onion

handful of chopped cilantro

Directions:

Slice pepper in half and scrap out seeds and membranes.

Mix all other ingredients together and then stuff your pepper

This tastes so refreshingly wonderful. I loved this combo!