Butternut Squash Black Bean Spinach Chili

Butternut Squash Black Bean Spinach Chili     2-3 servings

1/2 organic butternut squash (use the other half in another recipe) (or 2 cups frozen)

1 cup organic spinach, washed and then chopped

1 15 ounce can organic black beans, drain and washed (or use 2 cups of homemade)

1/2 sweet onion, chopped finely

3/4 cup (before dicing) roasted red peppers, diced (jarred worked great)

1 organic vegetable bouillon cube

1 1/2 TSP garlic, minced

1/8 TSP ground cumin

1/2 TSP ancho chili powder

1/4 TSP oregano

2-3 cups water (or omit bouillon and use homemade chicken broth)

1 1/2 TSP olive oil

2-4 TBSP sour cream added after cooking chili, to taste

• peel squash, grate half, cube half  (if using frozen, don't grate, just use cubes)
• saute diced onion in about 1 1/2 TSP olive oil in large pot over medium heat, cook 2 minutes
• add diced roasted red peppers and garlic to pot with onion, cook 2 minutes
• add squash to pot, stir to combine, cook 2 minutes
• add beans, that have been drained and rinsed, to pot with 2 cups water (depending on the size of your squash, you may need to add additional water to cover ingredients
• add remaining ingredients and stir well
• bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low
• simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, cook until squash is tender
• salt and pepper to taste
• add a dollop of sour cream and stir in, to taste

Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken, Garlic, Carrots, Onions SCD

Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken, Garlic, Carrots, Onions

3-4 Pastured Chicken Breasts, cut each into 3 strips
1/2 TSP dried Organic Basil
1/2 TSP dried Organic Oregano
1/4 TSP dried Organic Rosemary
5 Organic Carrots, cut into 3 inch pieces
1 large onion sliced into thick pieces, I generally use Vidalia
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 TSP dried Organic Thyme
3 TBSP Olive Oil
1 cup freshly grated mild Organic Cheddar Cheese
2 TBSP fresh chopped Parsley
3/4 cup homemade chicken broth

• Pour chicken broth in bottom of slow cooker.
• Season Chicken strips with Basil, Oregano and Rosemary, place in bottom of 6 quart crock pot
• Toss carrots, onion, garlic with olive oil and Thyme, place in crock pot
• Cover and cook low 6-7 hours or on high 3-4 hours
• Sprinkle with grated cheese before eating

10 Foods That Help Fight Depression

I came across this story on Facebook today, 10 Foods That Help Fight Depression.  Most of the time I skip over this type of feed on Facebook, but today I decided to read this one.  I am really glad I did because it is a gentle reminder of why I am feeling so much better than I did just 2 short years ago! 

I have told quite a few friends and family members what I am doing to fight the pain I had in my feet, hips, knees, shoulders and back that kept me from walking more than a few minutes without having to sit down or kept me home entirely.  But I don't think they are listening to me.  Change is hard for all of us but sometimes you just have to take the bull by the horns...or in my case, start with little changes and build upon them until you can "feel" the difference.  Take a look at my grocery list, even if you can't afford organic groceries, at least eat non processed foods. 

I have also stopped having inflammatory bowel issues that I have had since I was 16 years old.  I love being able to know I can get up in the morning and not have to allow for 3 hours of diarrhea and stomach pain before I can leave my house or be afraid to leave my house on bad days!

My food journey to better health started 2 years ago. It all began with my new doctor asking me to read the book by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Eat to Live.  I have since modified that diet to include foods that help my particular health needs (in my opinion, Specific Carbohydrate Diet) and exclude foods that I feel are inflammatory to my gut and body (ie. processed foods, gluten, nightshade vegetables, most raw vegetables and processed sugar).  I know I am doing something right because I am off all medications except a B/P pill, my labs are normal and two months ago I started walking and can now walk 2 miles without pain (my new walking/running shoes might be helping also)!

After reading the article, 10 Foods That Help Fight Depression, I decided to make a one day menu based on those foods and a few more of my favorites to show how easy it is to eat healthy.  Try this menu several days a week.  It is just this simple to eat foods that are good for you! (time saver tip: wash 3-4 cups of spinach using white vinegar with water rinses, just the amount you will need for the day, spin or pat dry then store in a mason jar (it only keeps one day like this).

BREAKFAST: 
EGGS, ONION, GARLIC, SPINACH SAUTE

• 1 onion sliced and sautéed with 1 clove of minced garlic in olive oil
• 1 cup organic spinach or kale washed, chopped really fine like herbs,  added to onion and garlic mixture cooking it just until it wilts
• 1-2 organic eggs scrambled and mixed into onions, garlic and spinach/kale (or if you can't eat eggs, add cooked beans to the mixture, it is delicious for breakfast or lunch)
• if you tolerate tomatoes and mushrooms, chop some up and add to the cooked ingredients

MID MORNING SNACK:

• 1 ounce walnuts (or sunflower seed butter spread on apple)
• 1 apple

LUNCH:
CHICKEN SPINACH SALAD

• 1 cup organic washed spinach
• 1 cup chopped strawberries (blackberries or blueberries or a combination of them fresh or frozen)
• 3 TBSP sunflower seeds (or walnuts)
• a few sliced mushrooms
• dressing of your choice or use my strawberry dressing recipe
• 2-3 ounces chicken breast from my freezer meal starter recipes (or cooked shrimp or any kind of leftover meat)

MID AFTERNOON SNACK:

• an entire avocado sliced, sprinkle with lime juice and salt of your choice)
• chopped tomato (if you can tolerate them)

DINNER:
HOMEMADE BLACK BEAN SOUP/VEGETABLES AND CHICKEN

• 1 to 2 cups black beans cooked with sauted onions, shredded carrots and celery, chopped spinach and garlic
• a side of mushrooms sautéed or cooked however you like them or leave them raw if you like
• a vegetable side of your choice
• 2-3 ounces chicken breast from my freezer meal starter recipes (or any other meat from my freezer meal starter recipes)

AFTER DINNER SNACK:

•  Chia seed and blueberry smoothie made with your recipe of choice (I use homemade yogurt and frozen blueberries (or a combination of berries) with a little local honey if needed to sweeten)

Yellow Squash Casserole, AIP legal

Yellow Squash Casserole SCD legal            1-2 servings

2 medium organic Yellow Squash, sliced NOTE TO HUBBY...please peel my squash and take seeds out
1 medium Vidalia Onion or organic sweet onion, sliced
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 organic eggs
1/4 cup homemade 24 hour yogurt
1/4 tsp sea salt

Cook onions in olive oil until caramalized about 7-10 minutes.  Beat eggs and yogurt together, then add squash and onion mixture, stir well.  Grease or spray square 9 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray. Pour mixture into dish.

Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until it looks done, the egg and milk will be "set".

Stuffed Summer Squash from Freezer Meat Meal Starter, SCD, AIP, grain free, egg free

Stuffed Summer Squash Recipe from a Freezer Meat Meal Starter  of Browned Ground Beef

Dinners are easier and healthier now that I have a freezer full of cooked Freezer Meat Meal Starters.  Even if you forget to take something out of the freezer to thaw, it doesn't take long at all for the meat to thaw enough to use in a recipe, especially the browned ground beef.

Sometimes our meals are a little repetitious not to mention the flavor is boring.  I am trying to come up with simple recipes that are SCD legal and don't contain any of the other foods that I haven't added back yet especially nightshades. It is too hard to follow a recipe and make substitutions so I just make it up as I go and use what is available from my local store.  Hence, the reason for stuffed organic summer squash...all the organic zucchini were gone.

STUFFED ORGANIC SUMMER SQUASH          2 SERVINGS

6-8 ounces browned cooked ground beef or use one container of Freezer Meat Meal Starter, Browned Ground Beef, thawed
3/4 cup No Tomato Red Sauce thawed  (I make this once a month and freeze in 3/4 cup servings)
2 medium organic yellow squash
1 large sweet onion or 2 small, sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 TSP olive oil, divided
2 cups organic baby spinach, chop really small like you would herbs (I dislike the texture of big pieces of spinach)
1/4 cup black olives, sliced

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Peel squash, slice in half, remove seeds.  Brush with olive oil.  Place in glass baking and cover.  Bake 25 minutes.
• Slice onions, sautee in olive oil about 7 minutes, add garlic cook 2 minutes.  Add browned ground beef and spinach.  Cook about 3 minutes longer just to mix ingredients together.  Add olives to the mixture after you remove the pan from the heat and stir in.
• Scoop meat mixture into the squash. 
• While stuffed squash are roasting, warm No Tomato Red Sauce in a small saucepan.  Once you remove stuffed squash from the oven, spoon warmed sauce over them. 

Chicken Vegetable Meatballs

I have enjoyed my beef meatballs so much that I decided to try making ground chicken breast meatballs.  You can use any kind of ground chicken that you like, but I am very picky and ground two boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about a pound, using a food grinder on my Kitchenaid mixer.  I also like sneaking vegetables into my meatballs.  These would be great for picky eaters who don't like greens, you can't taste the spinach if you mince it small enough.

CHICKEN VEGETABLE MEATBALLS                 makes about 14 small meatballs

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 1 lb) ground
1 large Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1 large organic carrot , finely shredded
1 stalk organic celery, finely minced
1-2 TSP olive oil, or coconut oil for sautéing vegetables
1/2 TSP sea salt
1 TBSP olive oil (to add to mixture)
**(optional) 2 cloves garlic, minced (cook last 2 minutes with veges)
**(optional) 1 cup organic spinach, finely minced (don't add if you plan to freeze)
**(optional) 3 TBSP homemade basil and spinach pesto mixed into meatballs (don't add if you plan to freeze)
*(optional) 1/2 - 3/4 cup No Tomato Red Sauce for dipping or to serve over meatballs.  When I make the beef meatballs, I mix the sauce right into the meat mixture before baking.  So far I haven't tried that with the chicken but will let you know how that works out.

Preheat over to 375 degrees.
Saute onion, carrots and celery in olive oil about 7 minutes. Let cool.
Mix into the ground chicken along with olive oil and salt and **optional ingredients if using.
Roll into small meatballs, about 1 rounded TBSP.  Place them in a glass baking dish.  Cook for 20-30 minutes.  Mine didn't brown.

Lemon Chicken Spinach and Carrot Soup



Lemon Chicken soup from our local Greek restaurant has always been a favorite of mine.  But the last two times I had it (before starting the anti inflammatory elimination diet) I became very sick within minutes of finishing it.  Possibly the eggs or thickening agents but my tummy really didn't like it.  So when I thought about making lemon chicken soup that is safe on my anti inflammatory elimination diet, I decided to only use ingredients that I knew my tummy was ok with.  I am keeping it simple these days and trying hard to have flavorful meals.

 

I started with my usual trilogy of Vidalia onions, carrots and celery, along with some homemade chicken bone broth, chicken breasts, spinach and fresh squeezed lemon juice.  I like hiding vegetables and thickening my broth with vegetables that I put in the food processor with just a little broth.  I need all the help I can get eating more vegetables.  I wanted to keep this broth on the thin side, so I only used one onion.  You can also add some cooked chicken with the onion in the food processor for a little more texture to the broth. 

 

I made this in the crockpot.

 

EDITED:  When using already cooked chicken breast, I don't cook this in the crockpot.  I saute the onions and celery in a little olive oil about 7 minutes.  Using immersion blender, blend until creamy.  Add all of the ingredients to a medium size stock pot, bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer about an hour to 1 1/2 hours, or until the carrots are tender.  Add chopped spinach and cook an additional 10 minutes.

 

LEMON CHICKEN SPINACH CARROT SOUP             3 SERVINGS

 

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut in half ( Greenwise from Publix)

4 cups homemade chicken bone broth (make and keep in the freezer in Mason jars)

1 Vidalia onion, rough chop

1 rib (piece) organic celery, rough chop

6 organic carrots, sliced

2 cups organic baby spinach, finely chopped

1/4 lemon juice, fresh squeezed

• Put the onion(s) and celery in food processor with 1/4 cup broth, pulse several times until you can only see tiny pieces of veges or until smooth.  Place in crockpot.
• Add chicken breasts, the remaining broth and lemon juice.
• Cook on HIGH 3 hours
• Add spinach and carrots and cook on HIGH 1 hour.
• Before serving, cut chicken into large chunks

Chicken Bone Broth Anti Inflammatory Elimination Diet

Chicken Bone Broth  good for healing my gut / makes about 12 cups broth

1 Green Wise Chicken from Publix without giblets (or antibiotic free / pastured chicken)

2 organic carrots cut into chunks

2 organic Celery ribs (pieces) cut into chunks

1 Vidalia Onion cut into chunks, you can use any onion you want, I have just found these don't make me sick

2 TBSP Braggs Organic Vinegar

1 TBSP Pink Himalayan Salt (health food store) or you can use Sea Salt

enough water to to fill your crock pot (mine is a 6 or 7 quart pot)

• Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
• Remove chicken and pull the meat off the bones ( we eat this for a meal ) leave veges and broth in the pot.
• Put the bones, skin, cartlidge and any meat that you won't eat like the back bone back into Crock pot.
• Add water to fill the crockpot all the way up, cook on high about and hour then cook on LOW 18-20 hours.
• Remove lid and let it cool about an hour.   Remove all of the bones and veges and discard.
• Strain the broth into a fine mesh strainer to remove any small chards of bone or you can use cheese cloth over a regular strainer.  I do this 3 times.

I have Mason Jars that I bought at Walmart that you can also freeze in.  I have several sizes but I like the half pint jars (8 ounces) for freezing the broth, that way I can just thaw one at a time for each day.  I drink one or two of these a day or use it to make soup.

No Tomato Red Sauce, Tomato Free Spaghetti or Pizza Sauce

Tomato Free Red Sauce, use in place of spaghetti or pizza sauce.  Make a big batch, it freezes well.

I first saw this recipe for no tomato sauce on The Primordial Table via Pinterest.  This tomato free red sauce is beyond amazingly good!  For anyone with allergies to tomatoes or nightshades, just give this a try, it is delicious.  I do recommend that you make this a day ahead of time, as it tastes even better the second day!

* I also want to add that I melted my blender gears by not waiting until the sauce was very cool to blend after cooking.  I now use an immersion blender.*

I have made this sauce for my family several times and they can't get enough of it.  My grandson used it for dipping his chicken into instead of using ketchup.  So much healthier!

The following is the way I make no tomato red sauce.  I encourage you to use the original recipe.  I am posting this mainly for my family and friends so they know the changes I made to the orginal recipe.

I also found another version of this recipe called No Tomato Pasta Sauce and it uses canned carrots and beets.  I am not a huge fan of canned vegetables, but in a pinch I might try this!

There is this version also, No Tomato Sauce, but it uses red bell peppers which aren't good for some people on special diets.

Here is how I adapted The Primordial Table's recipe for my family. 

No Tomato Red Sauce   makes about 5 cups

6 organic carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped small
3 organic celery ribs (pieces), chopped small
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 organic beet, peeled and shredded (about a cup)**
3 cups homemade chicken bone broth
1 1/2 tsp dried Basil
1 1/2 tsp dried Oregano
2 TBSP organic Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp Sea Salt

*1 cup organic baby spinach, chopped very fine - don't add until you are ready to eat the sauce - if you plan to freeze sauce, don't add spinach*

**I steam my beets ahead of time and freeze them so I have them all ready for this recipe but I think you could use beets that have been washed, peeled and cubed small, then just cook with the rest of the ingredients until beets are soft.**

Put all of the ingredients into a pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about an hour until veges are soft.  Remove from heat, let cool slightly.

Using an immersion blender, blend until sauce is smooth.  Reheat the sauce before serving.

If you are using a regular blender, please be careful and let sauce completely cool before blending.  I melted my blender gears because the sauce was too hot.
 
I plan to try and freeze some sauce to see if it freezes and thaws well.  So far, we have eaten every ounce that we make...might be time to double or triple this recipe.

EDITED:  I have frozen this sauce several times now and it thaws great in the refrigerator.

Collard Greens and Caramelized Onions, Organic Recipe Makeover

The third time is the charm!  I have tried two other times to cook collard greens and they were tough and gross.  This time I thought about the way my sweet papaw carefully prepped the collards before cooking and decided to cook them his way.  He would wash the heck out of the collards first.  Then he would sit at the table and carefully pull all the tough stems off and just use the tender green leaves tearing them up into pieces about one to two inches in diameter...no knives, just tearing.  You know how celery has strings in it, well some collards have strings in the veins and those need to be removed, so he would just tear them out. 

Next he would get a big pot of water boiling, add a ham hock, a stick of butter, sweet onions and hot sauce then cook for about an hour before adding the collards to that delicious, greasy, meaty broth and cook for another hour or so. Now here is where I have to change his recipe some...since I'm not eating meat and don't use a stick of butter in a month, I decided to use the next best thing for cooking the collards, my homemade organic vegetable broth with a little crushed red pepper, garlic and sweet onions.  Then I served the collards over sweet, caramelized onions.  It was a little bit spicy, a little bit sweet and incredibly tender.  I could eat these everyday.  So here is the recipe.  I also made two caramelized sweet onions in another pan to serve the collards over, recipe not included below.

UPDATED: FOR ANTI INFLAMMATORY DIET

Collard Greens with Caramelized Onions  3 large servings

1 pound organic Collard Greens, washed, stems removed and torn into 1-2 inch pieces.
1 organic sweet onion, sliced
1 TBSP organic olive oil
1 TBSP organic butter not AIP
1/2 TSP crushed red pepper not AIP
1 organic garlic clove, minced
3 cups organic vegetable or chicken broth

In a large pan, saute onion in the olive oil and butter for about 3-5 minutes, add minced garlic and cook another couple of minutes.  Add crushed red pepper and broth, stir well over medium low heat. Add broth and stir.  Add collards, cover and simmer for an hour.  Drain any remaining liquid and serve immediately with the caramelized onions over the collards.

While the collards are cooking, in another pan, caramelize two sweet onions to serve on collards.