Category: Recipes

Brazilian Cheese Bread

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We had these delicious, cheesy rolls at a Brazilian steakhouse years ago and I’ve been trying to perfect a home recipe ever since. Well, I think I did it. My family, especially my super picky preschooler, loves these.

They are naturally gluten-free because they are made with tapioca flour, which gives them a super unique (slightly gummy, but don’t let that scare you!) texture. Since I now have a chicken egg sensitivity, I make these with duck eggs that I get at the farmer’s market. Filled with tons of healthy fat, these are more nutritious than you’d ever dream based on how scrumptious they are. Just try not to eat all 12 yourself.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups tapioca flour (I buy this from Thrive Market)
  • 1 egg (works best if room temp, but I almost always forget, so it will be okay if you do too)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of pink Himalayan salt
  • 1/3 cup of olive or avocado oil
  • 2/3 cup of coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preparation:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until well combined and lumps are gone.
  3. Grease muffin pan (I use spray olive oil for this) and fill each cup about 1/2 full.
  4. Bake for 17 minutes or until golden on top. When you touch the top, it will be hard.
  5. Let cool for a few minutes and enjoy!
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Layered Chicken Enchilada Bake

Published on by Christine5 Comments

It’s Cinco de Mayo! Here’s a dinner idea that is so easy & quick to prepare. I call this a layered bake because I don’t roll the enchiladas to save time. It’s the perfect weeknight meal.

I promise this will never be a blog where you have to scroll forever to get to the recipe. So annoying, right!? But, a quick note on this recipe- it is garlic-free. Since I did food sensitivity testing and realized I was reacting to garlic, I have been avoiding it (and feeling SO much better!!). Try avoiding garlic in anything pre-made… it’s impossible! I found and now love the Fody brand sauces- their taco, enchilada, BBQ, teriyaki sauces & salsas are low-fodmap, which means they are free of onions and garlic.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb organic, free-range chicken breasts or thighs (you could use a rotisserie chicken to make this faster)
  • 12 organic corn tortillas (I love Food For Life brand for their simple, clean ingredients)
  • Fody Green Enchilada Sauce
  • Organic Pastures Raw Cheddar Cheese (I shred around 1/2 of this block) or Organic Valley Raw Cheddar (I shred the full block), which amount to about the same as a standard bag of shredded cheese.
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Avocado (optional, sliced for topping)

Preparation:

  1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then cook in an Instant Pot or slow cooker. Sometimes, I’ll put some salsa in with the chicken for extra flavor. Once it is cooked, shred the meat.
  2. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
  3. In an 11×13 glass pan, layer 6 corn tortillas along the bottom of the pan.
  4. Then, layer with half of shredded chicken, half of the bottle of enchilada sauce, then with half of the cheese.
  5. Repeat by layering tortillas, chicken, sauce and cheese again.
  6. Bake 10-15 minutes, or at least until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
  7. Top with sliced avocado and serve with a salad for a super green meal.

Enjoy!

Carrot Cake Slow Cooker Oatmeal

Published on by ChristineLeave a comment

Hallelujah! He is Risen! If you are looking for an easy breakfast for the family this Easter weekend, here’s a new idea. I absolutely love carrot cake, but now that I am gluten & egg free, it is harder to enjoy these days. I’m satisfying this seasonal craving during breakfast, getting a serving of vegetables in with a bowl of carrot cake oatmeal that is gluten, dairy, egg and refined-sugar free!

IMG_3161Ingredients:

  • 3 cups of coconut or almond milk (can also use water)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/4 cups of steel cut oats (regular oats will not work!)
  • 1/2 cup of raisins
  • 1 cup shredded organic carrots (I used 4 medium carrots)
  • 1/2 cup shredded apples (or frozen pineapple as a variation)
  • 1/2 cup pecan or walnut halves
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup (or honey, coconut sugar or brown sugar)
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil or butter
  • Optional: 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Preparation:

  1. To prepare the apples and carrots, peel and then use a food processor with shredding disc.
  2. Add all ingredients into a glass pyrex bowl that fits inside your slow cooker and stir well to combine.
  3. Place the glass bowl into the slow cooker and then add water into your slow cooker (around, not in the glass bowl) to fill up to a little over halfway around the bowl.
  4. Turn slow cooker on low for around 8 hours (I do this overnight).
  5. It will be ready to serve immediately. Enjoy!

If you have leftovers to reheat (this makes a lot!), I add a little bit of water before microwaving.

Happy Easter, friends! Hope you have a wonderful time with your family and I pray you are all staying healthy (and sane) during this pandemic.

 

Quick Hash

Published on by Christine3 Comments

Who loves a great hash!? This is on my regular rotation of dinners because it is so quick and easy + super versatile. It’s a great way to work in veggies and I love that it is great leftover for breakfast.

The key to making this super QUICK is using the slicing disc with your food processor. It’s amazing!! I didn’t use the shredding or slicing attachment for years and I’m embarrassed at how much time I used to spend chopping things and shredding cheese.  This brings food prep time down to seconds.

Ingredients:

  • 5 large red or golden potatoes or 2 sweet potatoes
  • 1 bag of Brussels sprouts (I’ve also used broccoli florets, which of course don’t require slicing, and I’ve added carrots too before)
  • 1 package of sugar-free pasture-raised bacon
  • sea salt + pepper + onion powder + garlic powder to taste

Preparation:

  1. Put slices of bacon on parchment paper on a large baking tray (I use this one: GreenLife Ceramic Cookie Sheet)
  2. Place in cold oven and turn to 425 degrees.  I typically cook for 10-15 minutes until bacon is crispy. Baking time will vary depending on your oven preheating time and the thickness of the bacon – keep an eye on it!
  3. While bacon is cooking, prepare potatoes & veggies. Clean and cut small enough to fit into the feeding cylinder of food processor.
  4. Slice the potatoes and veggies using the slicing attachment of your food processor.
  5. When bacon is cooked, transfer to paper towel lined plate, leaving the bacon grease on the pan.
  6. Add the potatoes and veggies to the pan and toss in the oil, adding more avocado or coconut oil if needed to coat.
  7. Season the potatoes and veggies, ensuring you use plenty of the sea salt.
  8. Place in oven and cook 20-30 minutes until browned and brussels are caramelized, taking out once mid-way to toss.
  9.  When potatoes and veggies are ready, crumble the bacon on top and serve.

Roasted Delicata Squash

Published on by Christine3 Comments

delicataSquash season might be my favorite food season! And delicata squash is my favorite of all. Yes, even better than acorn and spaghetti and butternut and pumpkin. Haven’t heard of it? I hadn’t either until last year.  You’ll see them with the other squashes in the grocery store and they look more like decorative gourds than anything edible. They are named “delicata” for their delicate skin- so thin you can eat it.

Delicata squashes are narrow and yellow with green stripes (and sometimes orange too) on the rind. Select one that is firm and heavy for its size. Avoid ones that are more light green- they are not ripe. Even the ripe ones I have purchased have lasted a few weeks in my pantry before I cook them.

Besides tasting so yummy, my favorite thing about this particular squash is how easy it is to prepare and cook.  This is my recipe for the perfect roasted squash – the slightly sweet bites will melt in your mouth, with a perfect crisp to the skin.

Ingredients:

  • 2 delicata squash
  • drizzle of oil (I recommend olive, coconut or avocado)
  • salt & pepper

Preparation:

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 420 degrees.
  2. Wash the squash since you will be eating the skin.
  3. Cut the squash in half length-wise. If you have trouble cutting it, pop in the microwave for 20 seconds to soften.
  4. Scrape out the seeds and stringy stuff (is there a term for that?) from the inside of your halves.
  5. Cut horizontally into 1/2 – 1 inch slices.
  6. Arrange on a roasting pan, drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper and toss. Split apart so each has its own spot on the pan.
  7. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes (depends on the thickness of your slices), taking out halfway to toss so pieces get equal time to brown on the bottom of the pan. It’s perfect when both sides are a light roasted brown.

Enjoy!!