Paleo Muffins

 There are some weeks I look at my calendar and think to myself, “how am I going to find the time to eat healthy?” When I find myself asking that question, I know I need to do a little bit of meal prepping, so I make healthy food choices all week.
It took approximately 10 minutes this morning to whip up a batch of Paleo muffins. It is a very simple recipe and extremely versatile. You can add in different types of nuts or fruit for new flavor combinations! Today, I topped half of the batch with fresh blueberries, and added cinnamon + vanilla to all of the muffins. Let me know what your favorite variations are!
Paleo muffins
2 cups almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Half a cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup of water
Four eggs
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, vanilla to taste, fresh berries, chocolate chips, nuts. Mix and match!
Preheat oven to 350°
1. – mix together almond flour, baking powder, and salt
2. – warm up coconut oil, water and honey in a small pan until melted
3. – add coconut oil water and honey into the dry ingredients and mix well
4. – add eggs to the bowl and mix well
5. – fill muffin cups and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Healthy Sheperd’s Pie

This recipe is a new, healthy version of the old comfort food, shepherd’s pie. It doesn’t need to be St. Patrick’s Day to enjoy this healthier version of the traditional shepherd’s pie. This version has riced cauliflower mashed right along with the potatoes and turnips mixed in with the turkey and veggies. Both cauliflower and turnips are cruciferous vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables play an important role in glutathione production and body detoxification. Adding cauliflower to the potatoes also cuts down on the carbohydrate content without sacrificing flavor.

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Coconut Cream Papaya Popsicles

Papaya Popsicles

Coconut Cream Papaya Popsicles

In my never ending quest to duplicate the outrageously delicious coconut cream popsicles from my local green market, I've been experimenting with different recipes. This paleo friendly, guilt free, version of Coconut Cream Papaya Popsicles are the closest yet to the green market popsicles. I hope  you love them as much as my family and  I do!

Monk Fruit gives these popsicles a hint of added sweetness. What is monk fruit? You're wondering, it's nifty sweetner that's 150 to 200 times sweetner than sugar, zero calories, zero carbohydrate, zero sodium, and zero fat. Use it the same way you would sugar. Check it out here.

If you're searching for the perfect popsicle molds, I used the Ozra set of 6 popsicle molds.

Ingredients and Method

1 Can of unsweetened coconut cream, I use Natural Value Coconut Cream and buy it by the case! This is the best brand because it's free of guar gum.

1/2 Large Papaya

1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice

1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons of Monk Fruit Sweetner, I use this brand.

Combine the above ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Enjoy!

If you want a different flavor, go ahead and experiment with different kinds of fruit or fruit combinations. For my next batch, I'm going to try mango instead of papaya.

Eat Clean

It's a Lifestyle

Anti-aging from the inside out

Pineapple Tomato Salsa

pineapple-salsa
This pineapple tomato salsa is sure the be a hit at your next party!
Surprise your family and friends with a new twist on an old favorite party food.  Pineapple and tomatoes compliment each other perfectly, while ginger and jalapeno provide a kick to keep everyone coming back for more.   

Ingredients:
2 Cups diced fresh pineapple
4 medium tomatoes chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 lime, juiced
1 1/2 teaspoons grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Combine all of the above ingredients, tossing lightly and serve with chips.  Pineapple tomato salsa is also great as a topping on chicken or fish.
fish with pineapple salsa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Golden Milk Turmeric Tea

Life is what happens when you’re making other plans…….. This has been my motto since fracturing my pelvis in a fall, a few weeks ago while out walking, Bosco, my sweet chihuahua. Golden Milk aka Turmeric Tea has been a part of my all natural approach to healing. Turmeric tea is an amazingly effective anti-inflammatory that comes without the side effects of drugs.

Golden Milk Turmeric Tea Recipe

2 cups Almond Milk

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cinnamon

1 small piece of ginger root,  peeled

1/2 tsp honey

Blend all of the above ingredients in a blender, warm mixture in a sauce pan. Be careful not to boil!

Enjoy the anti-inflammatory goodness.

How to Make Sauerkraut

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  • One head fresh organic green cabbage (if you use purple cabbage it will need to ferment a few days longer). 
  • Set aside one of the outer leaves of the cabbage. 
  • Use a food processor, mandolin slicer or sharp knife to slice cabbage into thin strips. 
  • Place sliced cabbage into a large bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoons of sea salt. 
  • Knead the salt into the cabbage with your hands and let cabbage sit for one hour. During this hour the water should seep out of the cabbage. 
  • For a variety you can add some sliced carrots or some caraway seeds before packing the cabbage into the jar. 
  • After an hour, firmly packed the cabbage into canning jars, covering the top of the cabbage with the outer leaf you set aside earlier. 
  • You will need some sort of a weight to keep the cabbage and the leaf on top submerged under the liquid. Add more liquid if all of cabbage is not submerged. The probiotic bacteria are anaerobic and need to be kept under the water. I use these pickling pebbles…. You can also use a small shot glass filled with water
  • Place the canning jar lid on top of the jar or use these special fermenting lids… Let the Sauerkraut on the counter for a minimum of three days, up to two weeks.  You can take off the lid And use a clean spoon to sample your sauerkraut. Refrigerate it when you like the taste. 

Classic Picadillo

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My youngest son, AJ, was lucky enough to go to Cuba this past month.   Cuba is one of those intriguing and mysterious places that I’ve always wanted to visit. As soon as he got home I was hounding him for pictures and all the details about his experience. He is a man of few words, and didn’t find mom cool enough to relay any great stories to. The day after he returned home, the ban to Cuba was reinstated. It’s safe to say that I’m bursting with envy (and maybe a tiny bit of jealousy) that he was able to visit and I can’t!

If I can’t see the culture and experience a new place, then I want to eat the food! Picadillo is what I started craving. We have an old family friend from Cuba so I put in a call to he and his wife to get an authentic Cuban picadillo recipe. They delivered a recipe, let me tell you; it’s impeccable AND simple! Win win.

Cuban Style Picadillo

Ingredients
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
  • Dash hot sauce
  • 1/4 cup sherry cooking wine
  • 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
  • 3-4 handfuls green Manzanilla olives,  drained & diced
  • 5 handfuls raisins
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Step one – dice onion and garlic. Sauté about five minutes, until translucent. Add ground beef and brown.

Step two – add Worcestershire and hot sauce. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Serve over rice or along side fried yuca.

Crockpot Coconut Lime Chicken

crockpot chicken

This recipe is a family favorite. It’s perfect for a busy day when you need a nutritious and delicious meal ready and waiting for you when you get home. The bok choy, carrots and peppers add antioxidants and fiber. Click on the Amazon affiliate links below to get the same ingredients that I use for the perfect recipe!

Crockpot Coconut Lime Chicken

By Karen Kramser, MS, RDN, LDN
Know How 2 Nourish
  • One package of boneless chicken breast, approximately 1.25 pounds
  • 2 tablespoons of Fish Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste – I use Thai Kitchen red curry paste
  • Juice from 2 limes
  • One can of full fat coconut milk is my favorite. It is free of guar gum
  • 2 cups of chicken broth
  • 2 carrots chopped
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 3 Cups of bok choy, chopped
  • Assorted mushrooms
  • Red pepper flakes to taste
  • Extra lime juice and fish sauce for serving
  • Serve over cooked quinoa or rice
There’s no need to defrost the chicken before preparing this recipe. Place chicken in the crockpot and top with coconut milk and chicken broth. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the peppers, mushrooms and bok choy. Cook on the high setting. After 4 to 8 hours shred the chicken and add the remaining vegetables. Cover and cook another 1 to 2 hours. Feel free to substitute any of your favorite vegetables. If you like your food spicy add a few dried chili peppers. Enjoy!

Green Apple & Kale Smoothie

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Green smoothies are a staple of my diet. Everyone in my family starts off their day with a green drink of some  sort as part of the healthiest breakfast possible. Green drinks are a super easy way to get more green veggies into your body along  with adding a healthy dose of fiber and antioxidant vitamins. Use organic ingredients whenever possible to avoid pesticide residue and get the most nutrient dense produce possible.

For the best taste and textured green drink, use a high speed blender. I use the Blendtec blender. It’s a 3 horse power blender and makes the BEST vegetable smoothies ever.

 

Ingredients

  1. 1 1/2 Cups baby kale
  2. 1 Cup coconut water
  3. Juice from 1/2 of a lemon plus some of the lemon peel (if organic)
  4. 1 Green apple, cored
  5. 1 piece of ginger
  6. 1 carrot,  peeled
  7. 1 stalk celery
  8. 4 Ice cubes

Instructions

Place all of the ingredients in your blender, process on whole juice setting and enjoy!

*If you purchases a product through any of these links to Amazon, Know How 2 Nourish will automatically receive a small referral fee.