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

Carrot, Red Roasted Pepper, Spinach Salad

Carrot, Red Roasted Pepper, Spinach Salad
Makes 2-4 servings

2 large organic carrots
3 strips jarred organic red roasted peppers
1 large organic beefsteak tomato
1 1/2 cups organic spinach
2-3 TBSP Italian Dressing, or to taste

• Wash, trim carrots.  Using box shredder, shred carrots and place in large salad bowl.
• Rough chop 3 large strips of jarred red roasted peppers.  Add to bowl.
• Wash tomato.  Remove seeds and chop into 1/2 inch pieces.  Add to bowl.
• Wash spinach and spin dry.  Chop into bite size pieces.  Add to bowl.
• Add Italian dressing a tablespoon at a time, tossing salad, until desired consistency.

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)

GREEN EGGS & GUACAMOLE, SCD, CLEAN EATING IDEAS

GREEN EGGS & GUACAMOLE, AIP, CLEAN EATING

 

Doesn't that look like green deliciousness just waiting to be eaten!  I decided to try eggs for breakfast for the first time since doing the Autoimmune Protocol AIP diet for three months and now transitioning to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet SCD for two months.  Prior to these lifestyle changes, if I ate eggs for breakfast, I would be in the bathroom within 20 minutes cramping, bloated, painful diarrhea and generally ruined the remainder of my day in and out of the bathroom.  So far, no issues after eating my "Green Breakfast".

 

There are quite a few variables that could be making the difference in my gut health.  Let's start with the pan I cook in, I only use stainless steel pans now, no nonstick surfaces.  The eggs are organic instead of non organic.  I didn't cook them in margarine, butter or with non-stick spray. I cooked the eggs in organic coconut oil.  And perhaps the most important thing is this...my gut has had a total of five months of no refined sugar, no eating out, only organic homemade real food with three months to heal on the elimination diet and two months to continue healing on the SCD diet.  And did I mention homemade chicken bone broth every day for 5 months!

I used two eggs and a half cup of very finely chopped spinach in my eggs.  The guacamole is pretty simple.  I used an avocado, 1 TBSP lime juice with a sprinkle of salt and just mashed it up. 

 



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.

Strawberry Dressing

STRAWBERRY DRESSING   makes about 1 1/4 cup

1 cup washed, trimmed, organic Strawberry halves
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 TBSP Organic Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar or fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 TSP ground organic ginger
1/4 TSP Sea Salt
2 TBSP organic raw honey  (or leave this out if your berries are sweet)

• Combine ingredients in a bowl. 
• Using a blender or immersion blender, process until smooth.
• Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds.

NOTE:  Substitute Raspberries for Strawberries

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

Spinach, Baby Organic, finely chopped

As I have mentioned before, I really don't like the taste or texture of most vegetables.  In the past fifteen months, I have learned to like a few more vegetables and continue to try new vegetable recipes. But I am afraid I have a long way to go.

A few years ago I started eating raw baby spinach salads after trying it at my niece's.  She had made this beautiful spinach salad with strawberries, blueberries, feta cheese and Girard's raspberry dressing.  I was hooked after the first bite and forever grateful to my niece for introducing me to raw spinach!  But when I started the anti inflammatory diet I realized the salad wasn't the same without the feta and dressing.  I needed to find a new way to eat spinach!

After trying quite a few spinach recipes, I realized it was the texture that grossed me out, not the taste.  I accidentally discovered how I can easily eat 2 cups of spinach a day.  I stack the leaves, cut the stem off, and then chop the heck out of it like it was fresh basil or cilantro.  Duh!!  Why didn't I know this when my kids were little so they would eat spinach.  I can add it to just about any recipe and not ever taste or feel the texture of it but still obtain its healthy benefits.  I add finely chopped spinach to stir fry vegetables, caramelized onions, soup, chicken broth and just about anything else I cook.

By the way, I am working on a raspberry dressing recipe that is AIP approved.  It might not taste as good as Girard's, but my taste buds really want a spinach salad.

Organic Black Bean Quinoa Carrot Burgers (Recipe Makeover)

Organic black bean / quinoa / carrot burgers have become a favorite in my house!  I am so happy I have been able to add black beans back into my diet. They quickly became that "go to" meal when we can't think of what to make for dinner. These healthy bean burgers have kept us from eating out more than once!  Serve on a bed of lettuce, baby spinach and avocado/homemade guacamole and we have a filling, healthy meal.

These burgers also freeze well!

Organic Black Bean Quinoa Carrot Burgers                    makes 4 burgers / 2 servings

1/2 cup cooked organic quinoa (not SCD legal but my tummy tolerates just fine)
15 ounce can organic black beans, rinsed and drain, mash with hand masher leaving some whole or use 1 1/2 cups homemade cooked organic black beans
3/4 cup finely shredded organic carrots
1/4 cup organic Almond Flour
1 clove organic garlic, minced
1 tsp organic cumin (if allowed on your diet)
(optional 1/4 tsp sea salt)
1-2 TBSP olive oil for cooking burgers

Cook quinoa according to package directions to equal 1/2 cup cooked.  Let cool, then add shredded carrots, minced garlic, mashed beans, almond flour, cumin and salt.  Mixture will be lumpy but should stick together.  Form into 4 patties.  I like mine flattened a little so there is more crunchy surface, if you like a softer burger leave it a little thicker.  Cook 8 minutes on each side in olive oil over medium heat.  If they start to get too brown/crunchy, turn the heat down slightly.

I freeze these burgers on a cookie sheet individually, then place parchment paper between them before placing in freezer container.  This makes it easier to just remove one burger at a time.