Sweet Sparkling Water

Sometimes I really miss soda...even though I know it's liquid satan....so I'm happy I've found naturally flavored Stevia! In Colorado, Vitamin Cottage has the best price, but I have seen them in many health food stores and online (http://www.herbalremedies.com/stevia.html). If you don't know much about Stevia, Google it and read the goodness! It's a fantastic all natural, zero cal, zero carb, zero glycemic index sweetener.
Try pouring a glass of sparkling mineral water over ice and add a few drops of your favorite Stevia flavor! It's a great soda replacement. Try mixing them too, they're so good. I love orange and vanilla for a creme soda flavor or root beer and vanilla for a faux-root beer float! The dark chocolate and cinnamon are yummy too. Try it!

Aduki: The Weight-Loss Bean

Note from Gillian McKeith: "...Aduki (also called Adzuki) beans are an excellent bean food source, high in nutrients but low in calories...exceptionally high levels of fiber, vitamin B complex and minerals (iron, manganese and zinc)...acts as a natural diuretic to relieve the body of excess fluids...also removes unwanted mucus, congestion...burns fat and balances metabolism for weight management. If you want to lose weight, this is the bean for you."

Auzuki beans are SO easy to make because they don't require soaking. Sort out debris from beans and rinse. Add 1 cup beans to 3 cups water, bring to boil for 1-5 minutes, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Stir often, if water evaporates, add more; discard foam that collects on top. I double it and pop them in the fridge to eat with meals and as a snack throughout the week.

Today I seasoned some warm beans with sea salt, fresh ground pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and chives. Then I sliced half an avocado that I eventually mashed into the beans and ate them with a whole sliced red pepper.

Moist Corn Bread (Gluten-free)

This is from Erica White's anti-candida cookbook. I love this recipe, it's a great one!

1 cup fine maize meal (CAREFUL, don't use corn flour...corn meal is easily found at a vitamin cottage or whole foods type place)
1/2 cup soy flour
1 cup whole brown rice flour
1 tsp potassium or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
1 1/2 Tb extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1-2 cups soy (or rice) milk (pick the ones that don't have sweeteners in them!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix dry ingredients and stir in the oil and lemon juice. Add sufficient soy milk to obtain a dropping consistency. Place in a greased loaf tin (spray w/ olive oil or use a little butter) and bake for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Frittata with Cherry Tomatoes and Baby Spinach

From Gillian McKeith
"I do not advocate the over-eating of eggs, but as a special treat try this recipe now and again"

Serves 2-3
6 organic eggs
1 Tb. olive oil
200 g (close to one cup) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
350g (about 1 1/2 cups) baby spinach
chopped fresh basil
chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Whisk the eggs with 2 Tb. of water.
Heat the oil in a cast-iron pan or frittata plate (any oven safe pan should do) with 1 Tb. of water. Add the tomatoes and and spinach and cook until the spinach begins to wilt. Sprinkle over the herbs.
Pour in the eggs and transfer to the preheated oven.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until well-risen and golden brown.
Slice in wedges and serve with a side salad.

Cauliflower and Beet Soup

**Picture is of Laura's modified version, see comment**

From Courtney Hart
This is a soup I invented the other night. I am not big on measuring specific amounts with spices and such so mainly it will be up to your taste buds! I was really surprised at how yummy this soup was...I think it's my new favorite.


1 head cauliflower, chopped small
1 med. yellow squash, sliced
1/2 of a med. to large beet, peeled and chopped
5-6 sprigs of fresh dill
container of veggie stock (optional)
1-2 cloves garlic, fresh or in the pre-chopped container
3/4 tsp horseradish
3 TB olive oil
cayenne pepper to taste
salt and pepper to taste

boil cauliflower, squash, and beets in water or veggie stock until everything is really tender
ladle small amounts at a time into a blender with some of the stock/water to add some liquid, just add veggies once the soup is the thickness you like
once all the veggies are really smooth, add the salt, pepper, cayenne, olive oil, horseradish (I know it sound weird, but trust me), garlic, and dill
blend on low until it's all mixed well.

again, just season to your liking. I tend to REALLY add seasoning. Maybe too much salt, but, it's SO good.

I served it with a little fresh cracked pepper on top and a drizzle of olive oil.

hope you like it girls! The baby seems to. I've been eating it over the past few days and for some reason EVERY time I have some she starts kicking me a ton ;)

Avocado Dip

Gluten-free afternoon snack (Erica White)

Avocado and Tomato Dip
2 ripe avocados
1 large tomato, peeled
4 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tb. chopped chives (or green onions)
1/2 tsp garlic granules (or one crushed garlic clove)
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and mash avocados and tomato and thoroughly mix with other ingredients.

(**I like to add fresh cilantro to the top and eat it with a whole red pepper, maybe two! I also swap out lime juice for lemon sometimes**)

Gluten Free Brown Rice

Gluten-free brown rice recipe, great to have on-hand for lunches and dinners all week:

(contributed by Kathy Slade via Sarah)

To bake brown rice - put 1 C. rice to 2 C. water with a dash or two of salt into a covered baking dish. Bake at 395 degrees (Is this the right temp Kathy? I wasn't sure but left it as is) for 45 to 55 minutes. Its really easy and never burns or sticks. It turns out fluffy and tasty.

Gluten Free Dinner

Baked Lemon Chicken (Erica White)

2 Organic Lemons
4 Organic, hormone-free Chicken Breasts, skinned
Salt and pepper to taste
(**it adds some flavor to add a sprig or two of fresh rosemary to the marinade!**)

Scrub the lemons and grate the rinds, then squeeze out their juice. Marinate the chicken breasts with the lemon juice and grated rind in a covered bowl overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken breast on an oiled (olive oil) baking sheet and bake for 3/4 - 1 hour or until thoroughly cooked and golden. You could also bake jacket sweet potatoes at the same time and serve them with cottage cheese and a crisp green salad. -Or- Serve on top of the brown rice below.

Gluten Free Breakfast

Here is an easy and gluten-free breakfast:

Creamy Rice Breakfast (from Erica White)

1 cup whole grain brown rice
4 cups soy milk (my favorite is the UNSWEETENED vanilla one from Westsoy)
Optional : Cinnamon and/or freshly-grated nutmeg

Cook overnight in a slow-cooker (8-9 hours) on low. Stir well in the morning and sweeten with stevia or xylitol if you like.

Spicy Black Bean Chili

Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day!
Laura

We're kind of on the soup thing right now, but here a great one from Debbie Roell:

SPICY BLACK BEAN CHILI

1 onion, chopped, 2 cloves garlic, minced: Saute in oil

2 T. chili powder, 1 T. cumin, dash of cayenne: Add and brown

4 fresh tomatoes, diced, 1 28 oz. can tomatoes, with juice: Add and let simmer

2 zucchini, chopped, 1 red, 1 yellow pepper, chopped: Add along with vegetable broth and cook for about 10 minutes.

Cilantro, basil, oregano and dill: Fresh is best

2 cups cooked black beans, 1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels: Cook till heated through

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Chicken Avocado Soup

heres my first contribution.....ben and I love this soup. I make it all the time. I don't have exact measurements but this soup just doesn't need it. Just tailor ingredients to suit the amount of people you are serving.

1 chicken breast for every 2 people being served, boiled and sliced into strips
large can or carton of your favorite chicken stock
1 can chipotle peppers (you'll only need a few out of the can....rinse the chipotle sauce off of the peppers before adding them to the soup)
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced thin
couple teaspoons of olive oil
salt/pepper
1 avocado for every 2 people you are serving, halved and sliced
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 or 2 limes
tortilla chips
shredded cheese

1. cut chicken into strips and boil in lightly salted water for about 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through
2. put chicken stock in a large pot and add rinsed chipotle peppers to pot (this is completely to taste. i like it hotter so for one carton of stock i would add 3 or 4 peppers)_
3. add olive oil
4. add salt and pepper to taste
5. allow to simmer for about 5 minutes
6. add 1/2 of the sliced jalapeno
7. add cooked chicken
8. simmer l for another 2 minutes or so (just until everything is hot and steamy)
9. now you can either pull the chipotle peppers out now or leave them in to continue to flavor the stock (i like to leave them in)
10. serve soup. in each bowl put 1/2 sliced avocado, cilantro, squeeze of lime, a few crushed tortilla chips, and a little cheese and a few more slices of jalapeno

thats it!!! you can add whatever to this soup that sounds yummy to you. i have served it with a really yummy salad and another time did it with quesadillas.

hope you like it gals :)

courtney

Carrot and Almond Soup

CARROT AND ALMOND SOUP (this is an easy one to alter to taste and double for a weeks worth of yummy lunches and snacks)
Carrots are a source of anti-aging antioxidants, while almonds are a powerhouse of nutrients, including magnesium, which is important for supporting adrenal function. Low levels of magnesium have been associated with nervous tension, so almonds are a natural stress-buster.

Serves 4
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
6 carrots, trimmed, peeled and sliced (**This is soup is also very good made w/ sweet potatoes ((and that will lower the GI)). Just add one sweet potato, peeled and sliced, in place of two of the carrots and cook the same)
2 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
1 Tb wheat-free vegetable bouillon powder (I use 2 boxes of organic, "imagine" brand vegetable stock in place of the bouillon powder and water. Imagine brand has no added yeast, wheat, or sugar, I love it)
2 -3 Tb chopped fresh cilantro, stalks reserved
2-3 Tb chopped fresh parsley (I use Italian parsley), stalks reserved
Just under half a cup of ground almonds (3.5 ounces, or 100 g)

1. Place the onions, garlic, carrots (sweet potato), and celery in a large saucepan.
Add 1.25 litres boiling water (or veggie stock) and the bouillon powder. Bring to a boil and add the herb stalks.
2. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife.
3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Strain, reserving the stock. Remove the herb stalks, then blend the vegetables in a food processor or with a hand-held blender until smooth.
4. Return the mixture to the pan and add the ground almonds and enough of the reserved stock to make a soup-like consistency.
5. Reheat, then divide between warmed soup bowls and serve garnished with chopped fresh cilantro and parsley.

This author doesn't add salt and pepper, but I do to this soup. Sometimes I throw in some garlic and onion powder too. It's SO yummy!
Happy cooking!

Recipe Exchange

Hey Everyone,

Laura McKinney (my cousin in law) had a similar idea... I have placed her email post below and thought that a blog would be a great way to catalog and retain what we do - could also be fun to post pics... I will put in some post about raw food, etc also. Anyone can post and comment on this blog so lets have some fun with it.

Elisabeth

Laura's Email:

I had an idea. I often find myself reaching for recipe books and searching online for healthy, creative meals to feed my family. I am passionate about finding ways to create wellness through supplements and nutrition. However, I get overwhelmed with finding good recipes for the nutrition part. I'm writing those of you who seem to be on a similar health quest, are also various forms of domestic goddesses, and who might be willing to share your wealth of recipe knowledge with a group of other women. It is my belief, that good nutrition and whole foods are at the heart of human wellness, and that anyone can be a good cook with a good recipe in hand.

So, I'm wondering if you would like to be a part of an email recipe exchange? There will be no offense taken if this isn't something for you. But, if you would like to share your great recipe ideas with other women, while adding new ones, or just be here to get new ones, let me know. Once I hear from you, I'll get something together so we can start sharing.

It's my hope, that we can share whole, non-refined, no sugar, or white-anything recipes. I hope we can support each other in our pursuit of wellness through holistic nutrition!

From one domestic goddess to another,
Laura