Cocoa Beef Kale Salad

     I love this salad! Really, anything with steak in it I will eat! Kale is considered a super food, and is not only great for your body, but it's also delicious. It is high in fiber, iron, Vitamin K, calcium,  is great for the liver and detoxification, and has many other benefits! The first time I made this salad I cut up the beef into strips and then coated it... please do not do this needless to say I could not breathe when it was cooking in the pan. So coat the sides of the beef and cut it into strips once it has already been cooked! :) This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and also paleo!

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 4 ox filet mignon (or really however much you like)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup chopped portobello mushroom
• 4-5 tbsp avocado oil (or olive oil if needs be)
• Kale

Steps:

• Mix cocoa powder and red pepper flakes together on a plate, and coat both sides of meat in mixture.
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Place beef in skillet and sear each side for about 2 minutes.
• Add beef broth and simmer for 7-10 minutes, depending on how rare you like your meat. When cooked to you liking remove the beef and put it on a plate and cover with tin foil.
• Add mushrooms and oil to broth and simmer until warm.
• Place kale on plates and slice the beef into thin strips. Top with mushroom and pan juices.

Serves 4

Per Serving:

Calories: 197

Fat: 12 g

Saturated Fat: 3 g

Carbohydrates: 9 g

Protein: 15 g

Fibre: 3 g

Sodium: 592 mg

Cholesterol: 35 mg

Based off of P90X2. Enjoy!!

Turkey Chili

     Love this recipe. Super simple and the whole fam jam loves it too. The substitution of lean turkey meat in place of beef means that it has less fat, and is high in protein, iron, zinc, potassium, and the B vitamins. The meat is low G-I and can help keep insulin levels stable. This is perfect for a cooler day, especially if you are looking for something simple and healthy to make.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp avocado oil (or olive oil)
• 1 1/2 pounds learn ground turkey meat
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I omit this because spice makes my stomach ill)
• 1 15 oz can kidney beans (or soak your own, which is a better option)
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley 

Steps:

• Heat oil in large saucepan over medium high heat.
• Add turkey, onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until turkey is no longer pink.
• Add cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne, and stir for 1 minute.
• Stir in kidney beans and tomato sauce; bring to boil.
• Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally for 15-20 minutes.
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.

Makes 4 serving, 1 1/2 cup each

Per serving:

Calories: 433

Fat: 16 g

Saturated Fat: 4 g

Cholesterol: 117 g

Sodium: 794 mg

Carbohydrate: 33 g

Fiber: 11 g

Sugar: 10 g

Protein: 43 g

This recipe is adapted from Body Beast. Enjoy!

Easter Baking

     Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great Easter. This is my first Easter since I have taken junk food out of my diet.... so needless to say I definitely had to be creative when coming up with some treats! I found a few recipes on other blogs, and created one myself, and played with them a bit so they suited my dietary needs. Here are three sweet recipes that are perfect for anytime of the year. :)

Chocolate Cupcakes

     I have to say that this recipe could still use some playing around with.... but the icing is on point! The cupcake is really sticky and is hard to get off the cupcake cup. So, I suppose the alternative would be to just cook them in a pan without the cup, possibly in coconut oil. The icing recipe I used is from Elena's Pantry. First I tried to create one using vegan butter, that is not happening again. Ever again. So here it is!

Chocolate Cupcake

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cup gluten-free flour
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 1/2 cup sugar (use here what you wish, I used cup-for-cup stevia, and used 1/2 cup)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk
• 3 tbsp oil (I used coconut oil)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin tin.
• Combine dry ingredients, then add wet and mix well.
• Add in cupcake cups and bake for about 20 minutes.
• This makes around 20, depending on size.

Coconut Cream Icing

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 cup honey
• pinch sea salt
• 5 tsp arrowroot powder
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 1/4 cup coconut oil

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat coconut milk, agave, honey, and salt for 10 minutes.
• In a bowl, combine arrowroot and water to form a paste.
• Pour arrowroot mixture into saucepan.
• Mix with hand blender, and bring to a bowl, briefly.
• Remove pot from heat and add in coconut oil.
• Place mixture in freezer for 35 minutes, or until it has formed a solid white substance.
• Remove from freezer and blend again.
• Spread over cupcakes.

Raw Vegan Coconut Balls

     I love these! These are from Organic Olivia, who pretty much makes my all time favorite recipes. Please check out her blog for the recipe, here!

Avocado and Lime Tarts

     I also found this recipe online! They are so good! The only difference is that I made them in muffin tins, so they are smaller than the originals. For the filling I also used 1 and a half of the recipe so I had more, but stuck to the regular base. Please check out the recipe, here! 

I hope that you guys will try these out! Enjoy!! :)

Protein Power Balls

     Hi everyone! There are quite a few recipes out there for protein balls, and this is mine! Some days I have a difficult time balancing my macronutrients, and this is a perfect way to get more protein! These are both crunchy and sweet and all around delicious.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 scoop protein powder (I used pea protein)
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 3/4 cup oats or quinoa flakes
• 2 tbsp seeds of choice (I used pepitas)

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
• Shape into 24 balls.
• Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

*Note: You can use all almond butter or all peanut butter instead of half and half

Makes 12 servings of 2.

Per 2 balls:

Calories: 171

Fat: 12 g

Saturated Fat: 2 g

Carbohydrate: 11 g

Fibre: 2 g

Protein: 8 g

Enjoy!!

Plantain Pizza

     Yes, it's pizza crust made with fruit! A plantain is in the same family as a banana, however it is large and starchy, in contrast to bananas, which are smaller and sugary. The best type to buy is one that is more green than yellow. Plantains are made of complex carbs, which will leave you feeling fuller for longer.It is also low on the glycemic index, meaning it is a great carb for those who are paleo. This recipe is dairy free, gluten free, as well as paleo. I personally did not add cheese, but Daiya Cheese is a great vegan substitute. This recipe was found at organicolivia.com! She has many more amazing organic recipes!

Recipe

Ingredients for Crust

• 3 green plantains, chopped
• 2-4 cloves garlic, to taste
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Steps

• Place chopped plantains and garlic into food processor.
• Add water and olive oil and blend again until smooth.
• Add salt, baking soda, and apple cider vinegar and blend again.
• Scoop pureed mixture onto parchment paper.
• Bake just the crust for 20-25 minutes.
• Place toppings of choice (I had: organic tomato sauce, portobello mushroom, onion, tomato, turkey bacon).
• Place back in oven for about 10 minutes til golden brown or until it is cooked to your liking.

Serves 4 (Nutritional Value for Crust only)
Calories: 326
Fat: 18.3 g
Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
Carbohydrate: 43.2 g
Protein: 1.6 g
Fibre: 3 g
Sodium: 719.9 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Enjoy!!

Protein Bar Challenge

     We LOVE protein in my house. Every meal, all the time. We've been long time fans of Clif Bars at lunch, however recently my dad looked closely at the ingredients and discovered there was soy in them. The effects of soy on men are generally not pleasant ones, and can decrease testosterone production, and increase estradiol productions, which is associated with female hormones. A rise in these hormones can lead to a development of breasts, hair loss in areas like the beard, possible dementia in later life, and many, many more issues. Needless to say, my dad and my brother do not want to eat soy at lunch everyday. So, my dad looked up three different energy bar recipes, and we made all three to decide which one (or two) we liked best! Here is our protein bar challenge!

German Chocolate Protein Bars

     We really liked these! The only issue we had was that we did not end up getting the brown rice syrup, and used agave nectar in it's place. These tasted really delicious but were slightly crumbly! Again, I think that was the issue of using only agave nectar. We plan on making these again! Please find the recipe here.

Raw Superfood and Seed Energy Bars

     I have no clue what happened here, but these did not turn out. They also tasted overly seedy for our taste buds. These are great, but not what we are looking for. Unfortunately, they did not cut well and as you can see they crumbled everywhere. These did not turn out like the original recipe. If you want to try these and see how they are supposed to turn out, click here!

Blueberry Bliss Breakfast Bars

     This is it. So good I could cry about it. These are really creamy and taste soooo lovely. These are the perfect texture to work with. They are so creamy in fact, that when we make them again we plan to add about a scoop or so of protein powder to add more protein. Please find the recipe here! 

     I am overall pretty happy with this little experiment. We will definitely be making the Blueberry Bliss Breakfast Bars, and the German Chocolate Protein Bars again. Our only issue is that there was not quite enough protein in any of them. Which is why we will be adding to the Blueberry Breakfast Bars to make them perfect for us! 

Enjoy!

Cauliflower Rice, Roasted Asparagus, with Turkey Meatballs

Déjà vu! I really like turkey meatballs, if you couldn't already tell by my last post. :) In addition to being gluten free and dairy free, this meal is also paleo. The paleo diet is based around eating real, unprocessed, whole food. It is rich in nutrients and healthy fats, and reduces bloating and improves energy stability levels. Eating paleo has also been shown to improve the flora in the gut, which can help cure irritable bowel. The meatballs are the same as the post below, just without the sauce in the previous post! 

Recipe

Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients: 

• 1 cauliflower head
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (can use olive, but I like the taste it creates)
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• sea salt (to taste) 
• pepper (to taste)

Steps

• Grate the cauliflower in a food processor into rice sized chunks.
• Heat coconut oil over medium heat in a saute pan.
• Saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent.
• Add cauliflower, mix together.
• Add chicken broth, sea salt, and pepper. Saute until cauliflower is tender.
• Serve hot.

Asparagus

• Place asparagus on parchment paper. Drizzle in olive oil and sprinkle with organic no salt seasoning (or seasoning of choice).
• Cook at 400 until tender.

Serves 4

Nutritional Facts for Cauliflower Rice:

Calories: 127

Fat: 7.4 g

Saturated Fat: 6.6 g

Carbohydrate: 12.5

Fibre: 4.7 g

Protein: 4.4 g

Enjoy!

Honey Garlic Turkey Meatballs & Wild Rice Quinoa

     This recipe is the perfect mix between sweet and savory. My family really loves this one! Turkey meatballs are a healthier alternative to beef, and the wild rice quinoa is a better option in the place of starchy rice. Turkey is low in fat, high in protein, and contains B vitamins, which help reduce LDL (the bad cholesterol). I is also high in zinc, and potassium. Wild rice is gluten free, high in protein, fiber, and is a heart healthy food. This rice is actually considered a grass, which means it can be eaten by diabetics. This meal is protein packed and great for overall health and immunity! 

Recipe

Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup oats (I use quinoa flakes)
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1-2 tbsp cilantro (to taste)
• 2 tbsp organic tomato sauce

Honey Garlic Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (I used stevia, it works fairly well, but will make it slightly sweeter so you will want to tone it down a bit :) )
• 1/2 cup soya sauce
• 1/2 cup honey

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Lightly spray casserole dish with cooking spray.
• Combine all turkey meatballs ingredients in large bowl and mix well with clean hands.
• Roll meatballs into 30 1 inch meatballs, and place in casserole dish.
• In separate bowl, mix together all honey garlic ingredients, then pour over meatballs.
• Cook for approximately 30 minutes.
• Add 1 cup wild rice (I used Sprouted Rice and Quinoa Blend by TruRoots) to 1 3/4 cup boiling water in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat. Let stand covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork. 
• Serve nice and hot!

In one serving  (5 meatballs, 1/4 cup wild rice)

Calories: 390

Fat: 11.5 g

Saturated Fat: 3.03 g

Cholesterol: 109 mg

Sodium: 470 mg

Carbohydrate: 44 g

Fiber: 3 g

Sugars: 5 g

Protein: 29 g

Enjoy!

Cream of Broccoli Soup & Mediterranean Arugula Salad

     Arugula is a nutrient rich vegetable that is high in antioxidants, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Vitamin K. It is a good source of minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium, manganese, and phosphorus. Coupled with Broccoli Soup, this meal is easy, healthy, and great for bone health and the immune system! This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian.

Recipe

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp avocado oil (or olive oil)
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1-1/2 lb fresh broccoli
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 cups almond milk
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium heat and saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent.
• Chop broccoli and rinse.
• Add stock, pepper, sea salt and broccoli and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or until broccoli is tender.
• Let soup cool until lukewarm, the place in blender or food processor and blend until it forms a puree.
• Add almond milk, and heat soup over medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Serve hot.
• Optional: If you prefer chunks of broccoli in your soup, take out about a cup or broccoli one it has simmered for 30 minutes. Add it back in chopped when you add the milk.

Serves 4
Calories: 190
Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
Carbohydrate: 22 g
Protein: 11 g
Fibre: 5 g
Sodium: 367 mg
Cholesterol: 5 mg

Mediterranean Arugula Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp honey
• 5 cups arugula lettuce
• 1 15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1 7 oz jar red peppers, drained, roasted
• 2 chopped roma tomatoes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together olive oil, water, oregano, pepper, garlic, and honey
• Add arugula and gently toss.
• Add in chickpeas, and tomato
• Optional: Personally I do not eat lemon, however you can add a 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice if you would like.

Serves: 4
Calories: 209
Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrate: 27 g
Protein: 7 g
Fibre: 6 g
Sodium: 608 mg
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Enjoy!

Cauliflower Fried Rice

     Eating gluten free and dairy free may seem like you can never enjoy your favourite "unhealthy" type foods again, but that is simply not true! You just have to find a way to change them to suit your needs. Which is what I did here. I LOVE fried rice but had not given it a thought after I changed my eating habits until I was inspired by healthier fried rice recipes, like the ones here, and here. I chose to go with using cauliflower, rather than rice. Enjoy!

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 tbsp avocado oil (or olive oil)
• 2 eggs
• 1 small onion
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 portobello mushroom
• 2 cups broccoli
• 1 1/2 cup snap peas
• 1-2 cloves garlic (adjust to taste)
• 1 inch ginger, grated
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water

Steps:

• In a food processor or with a grater, chop cauliflower into “rice” sized pieces. 
• In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs. 
• In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Scramble eggs until they are almost done, then remove and put into a bowl, and set aside.
• Wipe out skillet and add remaining tbsp of oil over medium heat.
• Add onions and carrots and cook until onion is translucent and carrots are softened.
• Add in mushroom and broccoli and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.
• Stir in cauliflower, peas, garlic, and ginger.
• Turn heat to medium high, and add soy sauce and water. Cook, stirring constantly for another 3-5 minutes.
• Add in scrambled eggs and cook for another minute.
• Remove from heat and serve.

Serves 4
Calories: 309
Fat: 15.2 g
Saturated Fat: 2.6 g
Carbohydrate: 34.7 g
Protein: 15.2 g
Fibre: 11.4 g
Sodium: 303.5 g
Cholesterol: 161.2 g

Enjoy!

Beef & Quinoa Soup

     Hey, everyone! I made this soup all throughout the winter, it is so warming and delicious! Not to mention easy! Quinoa is a super food that is quickly growing in popularity. Quinoa contains antioxidants, and also works as an anti inflammatory. This can promote tissue growth and aide in tissue repair as well as fight off disease and infection. It is full of protein, calcium, and contains all nine amino acids. It contains fibre and riboflavin, which can help stimulate your metabolism. This super food is gluten free, making it perfect for many dishes! 

Recipe

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp avocado oil (or olive oil)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 lb. lean beef, sliced or cubed
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3-4 carrots, chopped
• 1 parsnip, chopped
• 1 32 oz carton of beef broth
• 2 cups water
• 2/3 cup quinoa
• 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with juice

Steps:

• Over medium heat, place avocado oil (or olive oil) in a large stockpot. 
• Add onion and beef and saute until beef is browned and onion translucent.
• Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Ladle into bowl and serve hot.

Serves 6

Calories - 305

Fat - 10 g

Saturated Fat - 2.5 g

Carbohydrate - 32 g

Protein - 21 g

Fibre - 7.5 g

Sodium - 325 mg

Cholesterol - 39 mg

Recipe is adapted to be gluten free, and dairy free from P90X2 Nutrition Guide. Enjoy!