Greek Style Stufffed Chicken

Greek Style Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients:
-2 lbs chicken thighs (You can use breasts if you prefer, but I often use thighs because they're cheap, tasty, and my husband loves them)
-2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
-1 onion, diced
-2 cloves of garlic, minced
-2 tsp dried oregano
-8 oz fresh spinach
-1 roasted red pepper, diced
-1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomato
-4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
-1 tsp orange zest (save the orange for later!)
-1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
-juice of 1 orange
-1/2 cup chicken stock
-sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
-Heat the coconut oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add in your chopped onion and minced garlic. Season with sea salt and oregano. Saute until transluscent, about 3 minutes.
-In the mean time, place your chicken thighs between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Pound them out with a rolling pin or frying pan until they are about 1/8 inch thick. If you are using breasts, butterfly them first (split open like a book with a sharp knife), and then pound them out.
-When your onions and garlic are transluscent, add the spinach to the pan along with a splash of water. Cover the pan just long enough for the spinach to wilt. It will only take a minute. 
-When the spinach has wilted, remove the mixture from the pan and into a large mixing bowl. Add to the bowl the sun-dried tomato, roasted red pepper, orange zest and feta cheese. Stir to combine. 
-Taste the mixture. Adjust with sea salt and pepper to your preferences.
-Season your chicken thighs with salt and pepper, both sides. Take one of your pieces of chicken and lay it flat in front of you. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the filling onto the lower 1/3 of the chicken (use about 1/2 cup if using breasts). Roll the meat up tightly and secure with toothpicks. Don't worry if some falls out the ends. That's to be expected. Repeat this process with all of the meat.
-In the same pan you used to saute the onions, heat the other tbsp of coconut oil over medium high heat. When the oil is smoking, add your chicken rolls into the pan. Let brown until deeply golden on all sides.
-When the chicken is browned, remove from the pan and set aside to a plate. Add your balsamic vinegar into the pan. This is your deglazing agent! As it smokes up, scrape up all of the brown bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Those borwn bits are major flavor! Squeeze the juice of the orange into the pan.
-Add the chicken back into the pan. Add enough chicken stock so that it comes halfway up the chicken. Bring the liquid to a boil, and reduce it to a simmer. Cover and let the chicken simmer in the pot for 10 minutes.
-When the chicken is finished cooking, remove it from the pan. Leave the pan uncovered and let it simmer to reduce for an additional five minutes. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper.
-Spoon the sauce over the chicken for service. Enjoy!

*Please use organic ingredients when possible.

www.facebook.com/happyhealthnut

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Hummus is one of my favorite Go-To snacks and there are some great store bought brands out there. However, many contain artificial preservatives and MSG (if you don't know why it's prudent to avoid MSG, read here). I know that I always say this, but I really mean it when I say it's too easy to just make your own! This recipe is about a 3 minute process, including

clean up. The great thing about making your own is that YOU control the quality of the ingredients. Also, you can really customize your hummus to your liking. You know when you buy hummus in the store sometimes you get one that's too garlicky. Sometimes you get one that's too runny. This way, you know you'll get exactly the hummus of your dreams. And you can really experiment with hummus too. Try adding all kinds of different spices to it. Give it an Indian flare by adding a bit of curry or a pinch of garam masala. Give it a southwest spin by adding smoked paprika (here is the recipe for my Smoky Southwest Hummus). Get creative!  

Hummus is also a very versatile dip. In fact I encourage you to think of hummus not only as a dip, but as more of a condiment. I LOVE to use it on my sprouted tortilla wraps or in a lettuce wrap in place of mayo (not that there aren't some great mayo recipes out there:)). And I know that traditionally hummus is served with pita, but I love to serve mine with celery sticks, carrot sticks, and cucumber chips! If you have to have a pita-like dipper, try these sprouted tortilla chips. This hummus is also a really great alternative to that ranch veggie dip rubbish.

And I absolutely cannot neglect the fact that hummus is full of great-for-you ingredients. Did you know that 1/4 cup of sesame seeds has about 350 mg of calcium? That's more than one whole cup of cow's milk. The extra virgin olive oil in this recipe is full of heart healthy fats that will give you that shiny coat, as I like to call it. The lemon juice provides vitamin C. Garlic is incredibly anti-bacterial. And the fiber in the garbonzo beans will keep you nice and full. I hope you enjoy this hummus recipe as much as I do! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
-15 oz can chick peas (garbonzo beans- same thing), drained and rinsed
-1/4 cup tahini (tahini is just seseame seed paste. You can find it in the international section of every grocery store)
-juice of 1 lemon
-2 cloves of garlic
-2 roasted red peppers
-1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
-sea salt to taste

Directions:
-Place your beans, tahini, garlic, roasted red peppers and lemon juice in your food processor or high speed blender. I make my hummus in my Ninja and it works great!
-Pulse the mixture a few times to get it going a bit. Then turn the machine on and let everything start to combine. Slowly stream in your olive oil until you reach the consistency you like. I like my hummus a bit chunky so I go light on the oil.
-Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt.
-If you find that you have used 1/2 cup of olive oil (which is quite a bit!) and you still prefer it a bit smoother, go ahead and add in some more lemon juice or a bit of water.

If you like, you can omit the red pepper, and then you have a standard hummus. Equally delicious.

*Please use organic ingredients when possible.

www.facebook.com/happyhealthnut

Homemade Lactofermented Sauerkraut

I LOVE sauerkraut. But I grew up eating the stuff our of a jar from the grocery store, which is delicious, but not as nutritious as it could be. This recipe for traditionally lactofermented sauerkraut is even more delicious, easy to make, and full of healthy probiotics! Probiotics help populate your gut with healthy bacteria, aiding in digestion and immunity! This sauerkraut is a great way to get some probiotics into your diet! Give it a try!

Ingredients:
-1 head of cabbage. Remove the outer leaves. Core it and shred it finely. You can make this easy and run it through the shredder blade on your food processor. But I actually love chopping veggies (I know, it's weird) so I like to do it by hand- it's relaxing to me.
-approximately 1 tbsp sea salt
-4 tbsp liquid whey (here is how you get that)

Directions:
-Place your shredded cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle over your sea salt. Now you want to get really friendly with your cabbage. Use the best two tools God gave you- your hands! It's key to really massage the salt into the cabbage for a few minutes. The point of this is to draw the liquid out of the cabbage.
-Go back every 45 minutes or so and turn and massage the cabbage. I like to let the cabbage sweat for about 3-4 hours.
-Get a quart size mason jar and a wooden spoon. Place about 1/2 cup of cabbage into the jar and take the handle of the wooden spoon and beat the cabbage down. Just go for it here. REALLY beat the crap out of it. You need to push the cabbage down to minimize air bubbles. This will also ensure that the liquid is coming out of the cabbage. 
-Repeat this process until you have the jar filled, leaving 1-2 inches at the top. Don't forget! Really beat down the cabbage with the wooden spoon good! You won't hurt it!
-Add in your 4 tbsp of liquid whey. Between the whey and the liquid released from the cabbage, the cabbage should be covered with liquid. If it isn't, you didn't pound hard enough. Or, you can add in some of the liquid that accumulated in the bottom of the bowl you sweated the cabbage in. 
-Cover the jar, and let it sit UNDISTURBED on the countertop at room temp for three days. After three days, crack that baby open. There should be some fun fizzy bubbles at the top. Give it a taste and see if it's sour enough for you. If not, close it and let it sit another day. Just keep tasting and letting it sit at room temp until you reach your desired sourness. When you've reached that, you're ready to enjoy! And enjoy you will! It is DELICIOUS!
-Store it in the fridge for up to six months. 

*Please use organic ingredients when possible. 

www.facebook.com/happyhealthnut   

Blackberry Coconut Smoothie

Blackberries might just be my favorite berry! Besides being delicious, they're full of vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C and manganese! AND they are antioxidant powerhouses (antioxidants are those things that go to battle with the free radicals in our bodies, which attack our DNA and cause the C word)! In this smoothie, blackberries take center stage and make this smoothie sweet and tangy, while the coconut milk makes it smooth and creamy. Try it!

Ingredients:
10 oz bag frozen blackberries
1/2-3/4 cup homemade coconut milk (get the recipe here) or quality store bought coconut milk
1/4 cup liquid whey protein (optional, but here is how you get that). If not using, just use extra coconut milk
1 tbsp spirulina (also optional- if you prefer go ahead and use spinach or omit the greens alltogether but they add loads of vitamins and minerals to the smoothie)
1 tbsp pure maple syrup or 1 tbsp raw honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
juice of 1/2 of a lime

Directions:
Chuck it all in the blender and whip it up until smooth and creamy. If you want it extra smooth, strain it in a seive to get rid of the blackberry seeds. Enjoy!


www.facebook.com/happyhealthnut

Homemade Coconut Milk

Coconut Milk is one of my favorite alternatives to cow's milk. It's great for those who are lactose intolerant. It works for vegans and vegetarians. It's nut-free so those with nut allergies can enjoy it too!

Coconut milk also has fantastic health benefits! Coconut milk is made up of short chain and medium-chain fatty acids, which the body is able to easily convert to usable energy. So even though coconut is saturated fat, it is quickly used up by the body instead of being stored as fat. About half of the medium chain fatty acids in coconut are composed of Lauric Acid. Lauric acid is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-microbial, and whatever anti you can think of. Coconut is also packed with vitamins, minerals and electrolytes. 

Coconut milk is also super versatile. You can drink it straight up and it's fantastic. You can make homemade coffee creamer with it. You can make coconut milk based soups like Tom ka gai with it and it will be some of the best soup you've ever had! You can use it as the liquid in your smoothies. You can make ice cream with it. You can make yogurt with it. There are so many things you can do with coconut milk.

But there are a few good reasons NOT to buy it at the grocery store. The first is the price! This stuff can be expensive! Especially an organic canned version. You may pay $2.50 a can! For this recipe I use less than one bag of organic shredded coconut. It cost $2.99 and it makes four cups! By my calculations, that's about a 70% cost savings, give or take. Next, if you buy it in the can, even the organic stuff, you're getting more than you bargained for. Those cans are lined with BPA unless otherwise specified on the can. The organic canned version I have does not say "No BPA", therefore, it's in there. I don't want it and I certainly don't need it. Another common ingredient found in canned versions is guar gum. Guar Gum is used as a thickening agent and has potential hazardous side side effects including but not limited to intestinal blockages, glucose fluctuations and colon cancer (Thatcher et al). That's not something I need or want either! It;s just too easy not to make your own. Try it out! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
-2 cups shredded, unsweetenedd coconut (I like the Let's Do Organic brand. I know you can find it at Whole Foods but It's also found in the organic section of many grocery stores, and you can definitely get it on Amazon).
-4 cups of water
-optional flavor agents (Vanilla, almond extract, berries, cocoa or cacao)

Directions:
-Heat your water to a simmer. Pour it in the blender. Add your coconut to the blender.
-Blend on high for 2 minutes.
-At this time, add in your flavor agents if using. I used vanilla in this one, but it's equally delicious plain. A little cocoa added in and you have chocolate coconut milk. A little cocoa and some almond extract and you have Almond Joy flavored coconut milk. YUM! Blend to incorporate.
-Pour the mixture through a fine mesh seive, making sure to push down the pulp to get all of the liquid out.
-At this point your milk is ready to drink! If you want to make it extra smooth, pour the milk through cheesecloth or a nutmilk bag to get the rest of the fine particles out. Enjoy!

Note- you can make as much or as little of this as you want at a time. Just use a 2:1 ratio of water to coconut. This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week. The solids may separate. That's ok, just mix it up and you're good to go.

*Please use organic ingredients when possible

www.facebook.com/happyhealthnut

Thatcher, Elizabeth. "The Harmful Side Effects of Guar Gum." LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., 29 Mar. 2011. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.

Banana Oat Muffins

Since my husband is fanatical about banana bread, I'm constantly experimenting with various different versions of it. He really likes to have these muffins around for breakfast because they're a great grab and go. But of course I want to make sure that he has a well-rounded breakfast to start his day off right. So I figure if I add in some oats and some flax, I have a pretty good breakfast-y muffin and banana bread all wrapped up in a cute little package. And since pretty much everything can be made better with the addition of chocolate chips, I threw in a few of those too. However these muffins are ALMOST as good without the chocolate chips. If you want to leave them out and substitute raisins or some other dried fruit that would be great as well. One of the best parts about these muffins is that they're free of refined sugar, and they've got loads of fiber and protein in them. I hope you enjoy these as much as my hubby does!

Ingredients:
3 large or 4 medium very ripe bananas
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted (or butter if you prefer)
2 eggs
4 tbsp pure grade B Maple Syrup (you could substitute honey for the maple syrup if you prefer)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup almond flour
3/4 cup oats, soaked
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare your muffin tin with butter or coconut oil. You can use the paper liners or these silicon liner if you like. 
In a large mixing bowl, combine your bananas, eggs, melted coconut oil (make sure it's cooled so that it doesn't scramble your eggs!), maple syrup and vanilla. Mix with a hand mixer or whisk until well incorporated.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine almond flour, oats, flax, baking soda and salt. Mix with a fork, making sure to get rid of the clumps.
Mix the wet with the dry until well incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips if using.
Distribute evenly into prepared muffin tin, filling about 2/3 of the way up.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  

Banana Ice Cream

I ALWAYS have frozen bananas in my freezer. Therefore, I ALWAYS have banana ice cream. You guys I feel silly even calling this a recipe because there's really only one ingredient..you guess it..BANANAS!

Ice cream is pretty much one of my favorite things in the whole world. I can't really think of a flavor that I don't like...well there's...nope nevermind.. I like them all. And believe me, I indulge in some Ben & Jerry's from time to time (Phish Food is my fave:)). But I definitely don't have it everday, or even every week. So when I'm craving ice cream and Phish Food isn't on the menu, this is a great go-to dessert recipe. So, when your bananas are about to go off (so nice and spotty, no green bananas for this recipe), just peel them and chunk them up. Toss them in a container in the freezer and voila! You can make banana ice cream any time!

Directions:
When you're ready for ice cream, take your frozen bananas out of the freezer. Make sure they are good and frozen when you make this, otherwise the heat of the machine will melt the ice cream. I find that about 1 per person is just right. Throw them in your food processor or Vitamix if you have one. I make mine in my Ninja and it works great. Pulse them at first, and then scrape down the sides. Now turn the machine on and let 'er rip! Scrape down the sides as needed and let it blend until the bananas reach the consistency of soft serve ice cream. I know! Crazy! But they really do become the texture of soft-serve! And don't worry if you don't really like bananas because strangely enough, it ends up not tasting banana-y.

From here, you can flavor it up any way you like. You can add some vanilla in, which is my personal fave. You can add in some cocoa powder for a chocolatey ice cream. You can mix in some raspberries or strawberries. Squeeze in some orange juice and vanilla for a creamsicle flavor. You can stir in some almond butter..OR you could do cocoa powder AND almond butter and it would be divine! The possibilites are endless really. Try it out! It's pretty amazing. 

*Please use organic ingredients when possible. 

www.facebook.com/happyhealthnut

Lemon Vinaigrette

It doesn't get much simpler or tastier than this folks. This is my FAVORITE salad dressing to have on hand to toss on a salad or just mix in with some chopped up carrots or zucchini. It takes about two minutes to whip up and it will stay in the fridge for a couple of weeks, if it lasts that long. Here it is:

Ingredients:
-Juice of 2 lemons
-1/3 - 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil, depending on how tangy you like it. I like it extra tangy so I go light on the oil.
-2 tsp raw honey
-1 tsp dijon
-1 garlic clove, finely minced
-sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
-Toss it all in an airtight container and shake it up! Keep shaking....ok that's good. The dijon will act as an emulsifier to keep it smooth.
-Taste for seasoning and adjust

*Please use organic ingredients when possible.

www.facebook.com/happyhealthnut

To Juice or to Blend..That is the Question

I think that there is quite a bit of confusion about what Juicing is versus what Blending is. I post both types of recipes quite often and I always make sure to say the words "Juice" or "Smoothie" in the title of the recipe, yet I still get people asking why their smoothie was so bitter! Well, that's probably because you used a recipe that was intended to be a juice and made it into a smoothie...yuck. So I'm going to clear it up a bit here.

First of all, both juicing and blending have benefits, but they're very different. When you blend, you throw whole fruits and veggies into a machine, and the blades of the machine chop everything up very finely into a puree. The pulp remains in the drink and this is classified as a Smoothie! Blenders, Nutri-bullets, Ninjas, etc. are all machines for making smoothies, not juices. The benefit of blending versus juicing is that the fiber of the blended fruits and veggies is retained in the drink. If you have a hard time getting in enough fiber throughout the day, blending may be a good option for you. HOWEVER, there is such a thing as TOO MUCH FIBER. Crazy, I know. Too much fiber can actually lead to bloating, gas, constipation and diarrhea. Additionally, too much fiber can cause food to move too quickly through the digestive tract, blocking the absorption of important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus. Which brings me to Juicing!

When you juice, you run whole fruits and vegetables through a machine that is made specifically for juicing! When you juice, all of the liquid from the fruits and vegetables is extracted, the pulp is separated, and the fiber is removed. Why would you take out the fiber you ask? Well, when you remove the fiber, you're able to absorb all of the nutrients of the fruits and vegetables directly into your bloostream without your body having to expend the energy of digestion. Juices are also very hydrating!

So which one is better? Honestly, I don't think either is necessarily better. As I said, they serve different purposes. Personally, I drink both juices and smoothies. I get plenty of fiber in my everyday diet so I feel comfortable drinking delicious veggie juices and I don't miss the fiber. 

I hope this helped to clear up any confusion about juicing versus blending. Just make sure to note whether I use the word "Juice" or "Smoothie" in the recipe title. If you turn a juice recipe into a smoothie you may get more than you bargained for...don't say I didn't warn you:)

Leftovers Breakfast Frittata

I have four GREAT reasons for you to make this recipe part of your arsenal. Here they are:1. The base recipe is only 2 ingredients! 2. It's a great way to use up leftovers. 3.You can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. 4. It's quick to make and the leftovers are delicious (I guess that's five reasons).  Frittata is really just a fancy word for a baked egg dish. Oh and I just thought of another reason you should make this meal- it's cheap! The base of this recipe is just two ingredients, eggs and a bit of milk. And you can actually even leave out the milk if you're dairy free. It won't change much. Now here's the beautiful part of this recipe. Go into your fridge, find last night's leftovers from dinner and chuck it in the pan. It will really work with just about anything. In this particular frittata I used leftover grass fed ground beef seasoned with my Homemade Taco Seasoning and sauteed onions and peppers that we had leftover from taco night a couple of days ago. But any leftover meat and veggies will work. Even if you have leftover pasta you can toss that in and you'll have a sort of baked spaghetti dish. So on with the recipe.

Ingredients:

-1 dozen eggs

-1/2 cup milk

-whatever leftovers you choose. Alternately, if you have fresh veggies you want to use in this recipe, just saute them up in your skillet first.

Directions:

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

-Add your leftovers or whatever veggies/meat you're using to a skillet heated over medium heat. I use my cast iron skillet because I use it for EVERYTHING and I love it. If you want to use non-stick go for it, just make sure it's oven safe. If not, make sure you add enough coconut oil or butter (I used butter) so that your frittata will come out without sticking. 

-In a large bowl, whisk together your eggs and milk (if using) until well incorporated. Add eggs to the skillet and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

-Give the eggs and leftovers a stir to make sure that the leftovers are distributed throughout. Let cook on the stovetop for about five minutes, until the bottom starts to set-up.

-Transfer the pan to the pre-heated oven and let bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top and the edges start to pull away from the pan.

-Let cool and enjoy!

Since this was a leftover taco frittata, I garnished with some fresh chopped cilantro and served it with some salsa. Delicious! But go ahead and get creative with it. If you have parsely or dill, throw that in it. Serve it with a salad for dinner, or some fresh fruit for breakfast. This recipe is super versatile so I encourage you to make it your own and do what YOU and your family like.

*Please use organic ingredients when possible.

www.facebook.com/happyhealthnut

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Taco night is always a success in our home, and it's one of the easiest and quickest meals to bring together. When I'm at a loss for what to make for dinner, I can usually pull together a taco meal in some form or another. One of the things I always keep on hand in order to make that possible is my homemade Taco Seasoning. The stuff you find in the grocery store is full of dehydrated corn syrup and MSG. If you don't know why MSG wreaks havoc on your body, read here: MSG: The Shocking Truth. And who wants genetically engineered corn syrup in their taco seasoning? It's just not necessary, especially when it is SO easy to make your own.

This seasoning is great for any kind of meat you wish to use for tacos or fajitas- chicken, beef, pork, whatever. Or, if you're doing veggie tacos, toss this seasoning on your sauteed peppers and onions. This seasoning is not just for taco night though! You can throw it in soups and stews for an awesome slow-cooked flavor. Mix a couple of teaspoons into some homemade Greek Yogurt for a tasty dip or dressing for a salad. The beautiful thing about making our own seasoning blends is that you can really taylor it to your preferences. If you don't like it so spicy, leave out the cayenne...I'll never know! If you like it a little smokier, get wild and crazy and use smoked paprika instead of sweet paprika.Just do whatever you like! Have fun with it! Here's the recipe, if you can even call it that.

Ingredients:
-2 tbsp chilli powder
-2 tsp oregano
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp onion powder
-1 tsp paprika
-1 tsp sea salt
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper or cayenne

Directions.
-Mix it all up in a dish. Store it in an airtight container for up to 6 months. That's it.

*Please use organic spices when possible.

www.facebook.com/happyhealthnut

Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls

There aren't too many vegetarian dishes that my husband enjoys. He's pretty much a meatasaurus. To him, if a recipe doesn't have meat in it, it's a snack, not a meal. But I am more than pleased to say that he reported that he ALMOST didn't miss the beef in these cabbage rolls. That is a major accomplishment. 

My husband LOVES mushrooms, and since mushrooms have a particularly beefy flavor and texture, I threw them in and they served exactly the purpose I hoped they would. I also swapped out the traditional ingredient of rice for quinoa, which is one of my favorite grains to work with (especially in vegetarian recipes) because of it's protein content and versatility. This dish is hearty yet light, flavorful, and easy to make! And I think it tastes even better leftover. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 heads of cabbage, outer leaves removed and washed
1/2 cup quinoa, soaked, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil OR butter
1 onion, medium diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 stalks of celery, finely diced
1 lb button or crimini mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
2 tbsp werchestershire sauce
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stovetop. When the water comes to a boil, salt it as you would pasta water. In other words, it should taste like the sea! Drop the cabbage leaves in the boiling water and boil for about 3 minutes. When the leaves are bright green, remove from the boiling water and submerge in ice water (also salted). Remove from the ice bath to a paper towel to drain.
In the mean time, get your quinoa cooking. Quinoa is a 2:1 ratio of liquid to quinoa. If you want to use vegetable stock for your liquid go ahead- it will add great flavor. I used water. Add in 1 tbsp of your Italian seasoning while your quinoa is cooking.
In a large saute pan, heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil (or butter) over medium heat. Add in your onion and saute until transluscent, about 3 minutes.
Add in your carrots and celery and season with salt and pepper. Saute another 3 minutes.
Add in your mushrooms, garlic and remaining tbsp of Italian Seasoning. Saute for an additional 3-4 minutes. If you need to add in some more coconut oil at this point go for it. The mushrooms are like sponges and they will soak up all of the liquid in the pan.
By now you should have some yummy brown stuff stuck on the bottom of the pan. That's flavor and you want it! So turn the heat up to high and add in your werchestershire sauce, stirring and scraping up the brown bits off of the bottom of the pan.
In a large bowl, toss your quinoa, sauteed veggies and diced tomatoes together. Stir well to combine. Taste it and see if you're satisfied with your seasoning. Adjust with salt and pepper.
In an 8x11 baking dish, spread half of the tomato sauce to coat the bottom of the dish.
Now it's time to roll! Place a cabbage leaf in front of you with the green leafy part closest to you. Spoon approximately 1/4 cup of the quinoa/veggie mixture onto the lower 1/3 of the leaf. Be careful not to overstuff! Now roll the cabbage as you would a burrito, tucking in the sides. Place your roll into the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with the remaining cabbage (you may have some filling leftover. Bonus! It's good on it's own).
Top the rolls with the remaining tomato sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes, removing the foil after the first 30 minutes. Enjoy!

www.facebook.com/happyhealthnut

Go-To Green Juice

This is my Go-To Green Juice. I call it that because the is my most-basic green juice and it's the one I make the most because I usually always have the ingredients in my fridge. This is a GREAT cleansing juice and it will definitely get your lymphatic system flowing! It's loaded with B vitamins and iron to give you an awesome energy boost! The apple gives it a little sweetness. The ginger gives it a bit of spice and the lemon cuts the bitterness of the kale. It's perfectly balanced and delicious!

Ingredients:
-1 head of kale
-4-5 stalks of celery
-2 lemons
-1 apple
-1 inch knob of fresh ginger

Special Equipment:
-You will need a juicer for this recipe. Alternately, if you don't have a juicer, you can use a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec and then strain out the pulp through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth. I do not recommend drinking this as a smoothie, unless you add in another fruit component such as pineapple or strawberries. It will be VERY veggie-tasting and pretty bitter. If you're a serious veg-head and you want to try it out, go for it, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Directions:
-Chuck it all in the juicer. Enjoy immediately, on an empty stomach is best.

*Please use organic ingredients whenever possible.

www.facebook.com/happyhealthnut

Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

There is just something about the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking away that instantly takes me back to my childhood. We didn't bake a whole lot growing up in my family, but a few times a year my mom and I would make the delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe from the back of the Nestle Tollhouse bag of chocolate chips. And since we only made them once in a while, we always made a double batch. They turned out delicious everytime, and I knew that for the next few days (because that's as long as they lasted) I could look forward to cookies and milk for breakfast. Super healthnutty, I know. Now that I have a family of my own, I like to bake yummy treats for them, but I always try to omit the refined grains and sugars. That way, I can make tasty baked goods more often and feel better about it. So while I definitely do not make these cookies very often, I think they're still a big step-up from the old-school Nestle Tollhouse recipe (which is delicious, but not nutritious). Oh but don't get it twisted- if somebody offers me a good old fashioned Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate chip cookie, I'm going to take it and enjoy it. I'm all about balance friends. Mine are just as good though, if not better. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
-2 cups almond flour
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-pinch of sea salt
-1/3 cup raw honey
-1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil (or butter if you prefer)
-1 tbsp (yes tablespoon) vanilla extract
-2 eggs
-3/4 cup to 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
-In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt your coconut oil and honey until just liquified. Set aside to cool.  *Your honey will be solid at room temp if you are using raw honey as I recommend, which is why it's necessary to melt it.
-In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Mix well with a fork, making sure to get out all of the lumps.
-In a separate mixing bowl, combine eggs, vanilla, and cooled honey/coconut oil mixture. Whisk well to combine.
-Combine the wet ingredients with the dry until well incorporated. Fold in your chocolate chips. These are to taste. We like ours super extra chocolate-y so I use a full cup.
-Drop the batter onto a baking sheet- about a golf ball size. These spread quite a bit so make sure to leave lots of room in between. Bake for 11-13 minutes until golden brown on top.
-Let cool (if you can wait that long) and enjoy!

*A note on chocolate chips- You can use the good old stand-by Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chips, but there goes the whole no-refined-sugar thing. You can also find some really great brands of chocolate chips in the organic section of your grocery story that do not contain refined sugars, but they may run you upwards of $6 per bag, so there goes your budget. You make the call. No judgement here. I'll never know.

*Please use organic ingredients when possible.

www.facebook.com/happyhealthnut

Ginger Soy Chicken with Sesame Non-Noodles

My husband and I are HUGE fans of any food that is Asian-inspired. When we go out to eat, nine times out of ten, we will opt for either Thai, Vietnamese or Korean. It's just our fave. However, I don't love some of the less glamorous ingredients that often accompany take-out. Asian food found in restaurants is notoriously laden with MSG. While there are many healthy options available usually, you can never really be sure what sort of oil the food is cooked in, and you are usually not getting organic vegetables and grass-fed beef. So when we go out, I try not to be too uptight about it, and just enjoy the meal for what it is- DELICIOUS! However, when I cook Asain-inspired food in our home, I LOVE knowing that I've used organic chicken and veggies, that it's cooked in healthy coconut oil, and that there's absolutely NO MSG. So this is one of my Asian-inspired meals. It was a big hit. My husband loved it, and my little one ate every last bit off of her plate. So here's the recipe:

Ingredients For the Chicken:

-1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (you can really use whatever cut you like. We really like thighs around here)

-1/4 cup coconut aminos. You can use soy sauce if you prefer.

-2 tbsp raw honey, melted

-1 inch knob fresh ginger, grated

-3 cloves of garlic, crushed

-1 tsp red pepper flake

Ingredients for the Non-Noodles:

-3 medium zucchini. To make the noodle shape, I use a julienne peeler. You can find these at the regular grocery store. But if you don't have one, just use a vegetable peeler. Your noodles will be thicker like fettucine, but they will still be great.

-1 onion, thinly sliced

-1 bell pepper, any color, julienned

-2 cloves of garlic, minced

-1 inch knob of ginger, minced

-1/4 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)

-1/4 cup tahini (if you don't have tahini, just use almond butter)

-juice of 1 lime

-2 tbsp honey, melted

-Cilantro to garnish

Directions For the Chicken:

-Throw the chicken along with the coconut aminos, honey, ginger, garlic and rep pepper flake in a dish and massage it into the chicken. Don't be afraid to manhandle it- it will just make it more tender. Refigerate and marinate for at least one hour but overnight is great.

-Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook about 5 minutes per side if you're using thighs.

-When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pan and set it aside to let it rest while you cook you Non-Noodles.

Directions for the Noodles:

-In the same pan you cooked the chicken in, add a bit more coconut oil if needed and heat it over medium-high heat. Throw your bell pepper and onion into the pan and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes.

-Add the garlic and ginger to the pan, and saute another 2 minutes, until fragrant.

-Add the zucchini to the pan and saute another 1-2 minutes.

-In the meantime, in a large mixing bowl combine coconut aminos, tahini, lime juice and honey. Whisk to combine.

-When the vegetables have finished sauteeing, remove from the pan and place into the mixing bowl with the sesame sauce. Toss to coat.

-Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve. Enjoy!

www.facebook.com/happyhealthnut

Homemade Lacto-fermented Ketchup

I love ketchup. To me, ketchup is good on just about anything. But I do not, however, love the nasty ingredients that commonly appear in your every-day off-the-shelf ketchup such as high fructose corn syrup and "natural flavor", which is likely a polite way of saying MSG. So I experimented a bit, and figured out how to make my own organic, chemical free, high fructose corn syrup-free, pro-biotic-filled, lacto-fermented ketchup. 

The benefits of fermented foods are many. First and forememost, fermented foods are full of probiotics that help populate your gut with healthy bacteria. This is important because these healthy bacteria- the 'good guys' , go to war for your body to help fight off yeasts, fungi, and other bad bacteria, the 'bad guys'. Healthy intestines are crucial to overall health and proper immune function.  

Additionally, the healthy bacteria in fermented foods actually partially digest your food prior to consumption. Since your gut does not have to work quite as hard at digestion, it's able to put maxiumum effort into absorption of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Some studies even suggest that probiotics can help your body rid itself of pesticides acccumulated in your fat cells. Cool eh? I think so.

Aside from taking probiotic supplements, which is just fine, there are a number of ways to incorporate fermented foods into your diet. Sauerkraut is a great fermented treat- but not the kind that you find on the dry goods shelf- it has to be found in the refrigerated section. If it's not, then it's not truly fermented, and it's likely just made with vinegar. Dairy products are a food that greatly benefits from the ferrmentation process. In fact many people who are lactose intolerant can actually consume fermented dairy such as yogurt and kefir without a problem as the lactose is digested during fermentation. Kimchi is a yummy Korean fermented cabbage dish that is full of Vitamins A and C. Again, you need to get this one out of the fridge section of your grocery store. These are just a couple of fermented options available, and fermenting foods at home is really quite easy. All you need is some whey or a starter culture. I like to use the liquid whey that I have leftover from making my Homemade Greek Yogurt. 

My homemade lacto-fermented ketchup is delicious and super easy to make, and you don't have to worry about high fructose corn syrup and MSG. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

-3 cups tomato paste

-1/4 cup whey

-1/2 cup maple syrup

-1/4 cup fish sauce

-1 tbsp sea salt

-1-2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

-Put all of the ingredients in a mason jar. Stir well to combine.

-Leave 1 inch of room at the top, and cover tightly with a lid.

-Let sit at room temp for 48 hours. Store in the fridge for up to 6 months.

*Use organic ingredients when possible.

www.facebook.com/happyhealthnut

The Amazing Health Benefits of Lemon Water

A tall glass of warm water with lemon juice and cayenne firs thing in the morning on an empty stomach is one of my FAVORITE healthy habits, and it wasn't at all difficult to make a habit. Okay, I know it sounds weird. I was skeptical myself, but I have to say, I LOVE it!

There are a ton of benefits to this easy-to-incorporate habit. First, the obvious is that it's hydrating. It's a great way to "fill up your tank" so to speak and sort of wake everything up from your overnight fast. Lemon has astringent properties so it acts as a blood purifier and cleansing agent. Lemon is full of vitamin C which we all know boosts your immune system. It's a great diuretic so it can help you get rid of any excess water weight you might be carrying around. Although lemon is acidic, it actually has alkalodic affects on the body which is amazing because an acidic body environment is a breeding ground for disease. The cayenne will warm up your insides and stimulate your gut to produce hydrochloric acid, aiding in digestion and elimination. Don't worry if you don't like spicy. It's just a dash, not enough to make it hot. And even if you really just can't do the cayenne, there are still wonderful benefits to plain water with lemon. The benefits of this cleansing drink are too numerous to count! Personally, I've found that my salt cravings are greatly decreased throughout the day when I start out with this. Major bonus! This was an EASY habit to incorporate. What one small change can you make today to improve your overall health?

www.facebook.com/happyhealthnut

Chimichurri

I'm a dipper. I'm a dipper from way back. I feel like pretty much everything is just a little bit better when it's dipped in a yummy sauce. So I'm always looking for healthy condiments to compliment my meals. In this case, the condiment MAKES the meal. 

This is my twist on a classic Argentinian Chimichurri. In Argentina there are a ton of different ways to make this sauce. It's kind of like meatloaf here in the states. Everyone has their own family recipe that gets passed down. There is green chimichurri and red chimichurri, and each one is a bit different, but this is how I like to make it.

The beauty of this sauce is that it's great with just about any meat and any vegetable. My favorite way to eat it is with a simply marinated and grilled flank steak and some mixed grilled veggies. But this chimichurri is also great with chicken, pork or fish, and it will always add amazing flavor to your dinner. This meal epitomizes a summer supper for me. It's simple, yet incredibly flavorful and really nutritious! 
 

As we finished up eating this meal, my husband said "this would have been even better with some Greek yogurt to dip it in." And he was right! That would have been delicious but I didn't think of it. So when you make this, serve it up with some Homemade Greek Yogurt seasoned with a bit of cumin and sea salt.

Recipe Yields 2 servings

Ingredients for the Steak and Vegetables:
1 pound flank steak. This means it's about 8 oz of steak per person
2 onions, cut into wedges
1 pound of button mushrooms
2 bell peppers- seeded, stemmed and halved
sea salt and pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil or ghee

Ingredients for the Marinade:
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
sea salt & pepper

Directions for the Steak and Vegetables:
Put the ingredients for the marinade in a shallow dish (or ziplock, whichever you prefer) and whisk them up.
Add the flank steak to the marinade and turn it around so it's coated. Cover and let marinate for at least 30 minutes, but overnight is great. If you're doing a quick (30 minutes) marinade, you can leave it out on the counter. If you're letting it go overnight, pop it in the fridge. 
When you're ready to cook the steak, pull it out of the fridge (if it's been in the fridge) and let it come to room temperature. Prepare your vegetables.
Season your steak and vegetables with sea salt and pepper
Heat your grill or grill pan over medium high heat with some coconut oil (or ghee). 
Put the steak on the grill and cook according to your desired doneness. We like ours medium rare, so that's about 3-4 minutes on the firs side, and 2-3 minutes on the second side. 
When the steak is finished, pull it off the grill and set it aside to rest. 
Add the vegetables to the pan or grill, and let them cook for a couple of minutes each side, until you have a bit of a char on them.

Ingredients for the Chimichurri:
1 loose cup fresh cilantro
1 loose cup fresh parsley
3 scallions
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place all of the ingredients except the olive oil in the food processor or high speed blender. With the motor running, stream in the olive oil until you reach your desired consistency. I like mine pourable. And actually, you don't even need a machine. You can just chop everything very finely and mix it up with a fork. It will taste just as fantastic.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and pepper.
Pour it over the steak and the vegetables, or leave on the side for dipping. 
Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Or, you can pour it into ice cube trays and freeze into cubes so that you can pull it out in individual portions to dress up any weeknight meal. 

Enjoy!