Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

Sometimes I really want a creamy chicken noodle soup, but let's face it Campbell's is high in salt and preservatives, and a range of other stuff that isn't so great for us.  So, I scanned the 'net and found a good alternative.

1 tablespoon arrow root  powder
3 tablespoons Kerrygold butter
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth (I used bone broth in mine)
1/2 cup milk (I used full fat milk)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat.  When melted, add the arrow root powder and whisk until smooth and bubbly.  Remove from heat and add in the chicken broth and milk, whisking until well incorporated.  Return to heat and continue whisking until it thickens.  Add salt and pepper to taste!

Voila!  You have cream of chicken.  You can throw in bits of chicken if you'd like.  This is great to give a nice creamy texture to a ton of dishes.

Pin it for later:  Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

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Photo credit to:  Asouthernmom.com

Pumpkin Poppers! They are like little mini donuts - gluten free, dairy free, wheat free

These were so good and it felt like I could have a legit treat and I wasn't cheating at all!  They are extremely easy to make, as well.  When I saw the original recipe I did not have all of the ingredients on hand and I knew that I wanted something that had a little more sugar taste to it, so I improvised.  :)  I removed a little of this, added a little of that and voila!  They freakin rocked my motherflippin socks.  Kid approved, too!  I didn't bother to tell them it was healthy.  They didn't ask and who am I to tell them what they don't need to know?  A sneaky mom, that's who.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut flour, firmly packed (I used Bob Redmill Certified Organic)  + more for dusting.
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup pumpkin (I used organic pumpkin puree from the grocery store.  Nothing fancy)
• 1/3 cup coconut oil 
• 1/4 cup honey 
• 1/4 cup Stevia
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 to 1/2 c of raw sugar for coating 

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2.  Take out your trusty dusty cupcake pan and put a pinch of coconut flower in the bottom of each well.  It            does not need to be fancy, just throw a pinch in there.

3.  Add all dry ingredients to a small bowel and combine well,except for the Stevia.

4.  Add all wet ingredients including the Stevia to your food processor and mix well.  You may need to stop            once and scoop down the sides.

5.  Add your wet ingredients to the dry and combine well until a ball is formed.  Let sit for 5 minutes to allow        the coconut flour to fully incorporate any liquid.  

6.  Roll into 12 each balls and dredge each one into the raw sugar making sure to coat it completely.

7.  Add each ball to one well of your cupcake pan.

8.  Cook for 17 to 19 minutes.  They will not be hard on the outside.  They should remain soft with a small            amount of crust (I mean very little) 

9.  Remove them from the well and allow them to sit for a few minutes to cool off, but you can eat warm or          put them in a container and eat on the go.  Perfect treat packed with vitamins and clean-eating                      yumminess.

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Photo Credit to & recipe inspired by:  Gapsdietjourney.com

Split Chick Pea Soup - Soooooooo Good! (With Oil Free & Pressure Cooking Options)

Easy Chana Dal

Allergen Information: Free of Dairy, egg, corn, soy, yeast. nut, gluten, grain.

Ingredients: Serves 2
1/2 cup chana dal – split chickpeas (or use split peas)
2 cups water
1 large tomato
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 inch ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne
1/3 to 1/2 tsp salt
To temper:
1/2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
a generous pinch of asafetida(hing) (gluten-free asafetida can be found on worldspice.com)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Method:
Soak the dal for 1 hour to overnight. Drain and combine with 2 cups water in a saucepan. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes over medium heat. Open the lid a crack if the water threatens to boil over.
Meawhile, blend the tomato, garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric, paprika and cayenne with 1/2 cup of water until smooth.
Add the tomato mixture and salt to the cooking split peas. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes or until the split peas are tender. Mash some of the split peas and continue to simmer until desired tenderness and consistency.
Make the tempering: Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and cook until they change color. half to 1 minute. Add in the asafetida. Add half of this tempering, garam masala, cayenne to the simmering dal and mix in. Taste and adjust salt and spice. Take off heat, add cilantro and mix in. Garnish with the remaining tempering and serve.

To make oil-free: Dry roast the cumin seeds until they change color and get fragrant. Add the roasted seeds, asafetida, garam masala, cayenne to the simmering dal. Mix well. Add cilantro and serve. 

To Pressure cook: Add all ingredients except the tempering to a pressure cooker. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes after the pressure has reached. Let the pressure release naturally. Follow the last step for the tempering and serving. 

Pin It for Later:  Split Chick Pea Soup

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Original Recipe & Photo Credit To:  Veganricha.com

Vegan Chickpea Noodles with Garlic Tomato Sauce

This is one of those recipes you want to do on your prep day or when you have time, but oh Mother of all that is good and evil in this world, it's damn worth it.  Also, if you're trying to get in more meat free days or are trying to gain more vegan recipes, this is one that you'll want in your recipe box.

Vegan Chickpea Noodles with Garlic Tomato Sauce
Allergen Information: Free of dairy, egg, corn, soy, gluten, grain, nut. Can be made yeast-free by omitting nutritional yeast.

Ingredients: To double the recipe, use 1 cup chickpea flour and 1 3/4 cup water
For the chickpea noodles: Serves 1
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1 cup water
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric (optional)
1/4 tsp garlic or onion granules
1/4 tsp thyme (optional)

Method:
Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Pour the blended mixture into a pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes until it starts to get lumpy. Mix well and continue to cook for 2 minutes, stir frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, stir occasionally.
Drop the hot custard on parchment or foil. Using a flat spatula spread the custard to form a very thin rectangle. You can also roll it out between 2 parchments.
Let it cool for 15 minutes. Use a pizza cutter cut noodles or other shapes. Store refrigerated for upto 3 days. Serve with tomato sauce. Top with pepita parmesan or nutritional yeast and black pepper. Can also be served with other pasta sauces or asian sauces.
These noodles are best served room temperature, cold or lightly warmed in thick sauce. If you heat them directly in a skillet or in hot water, they will disintegrate. 

For variation: Add 2 tablespoons non dairy yogurt to the chickpea batter. the yogurt helps make softer and sturdier noodles. 

For the garlic tomato sauce:
3 1/2 cups tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic
1 tsp herbs of choice like basil, oregano, thyme
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp oil 
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp sugar or maple syrup to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste ( optional)

Method:
Blend 1/2 cup tomato, garlic, pepper flakes, and herbs into a smooth puree.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Pour the tomato garlic mixture into the skillet and cook for 5 minutes or until fragrant and thick, stirring occasionally.
Add the rest of the tomatoes, salt, sugar, cover and cook over low-medium heat for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, sugar and herbs. Serve or store. 

Pin it for later:  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/362680576218135151/

Follow me on Pinterest for more recipes, exercises and motivation: https://www.pinterest.com/drauso/

Original Recipe and Photo Credit:  http://www.veganricha.com/

Healthy Tai Coconut Chili Chicken Skewers

These are so good and perfect for the upcoming spring/summer weather.  Can't you just picture sitting on your patio or deck with tiki torches lit; family and friends sitting around the table with the faint sounds of the radio in the backgroun?  Oh....I know you can!  These will help.  

Gluten Free, Dairy Free.  Perfect!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

8 chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-2-inch cubes

2 limes, juiced and zested

1 cup light coconut milk

1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon shallots, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

freshly ground pepper, to taste

fresh cilantro, garnish

skewers

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together coconut milk, cumin, coriander, brown sugar, garlic powder, chili flakes, shallots, curry powder, soy sauce, ginger, lime juice and zest, salt and pepper (if using) until smooth.

Transfer mixture to a large, re-sealable plastic bag and add cubed chicken.  Seal bag and refrigerate for 2-4 hours, or overnight.  Once chicken has had a chance to marinate, thread meat onto skewers and set remaining marinade aside.  Heat your grill or griddle to medium-high heat and cook skewers, rotating frequently and brushing with marinade, until completely cooked through.

Transfer skewers to serving plates, garnish with fresh cilantro and serve immediately! 

Calories: 220

Carbs: 6.4 g

Fat: 5.4 g

Protein: 26.8

Sodium: 761.2 mg

Sugar: 2.6 g

Image and recipe source:  12tomatoes.com

Oatmeal in Disguise!

If you're anything like me when you've given up most all grains and wheat, after a while you might miss a nice warm bowl of oatmeal.  I'm one of those types of people that doesn't care if it's 7000 degrees outside and we are walking on the sun, if I want some oatmeal I'm going to make it.  This is a seriously wonderful recipe for just that, but it's healthy and has natural fats, too.  This is easy to make and is even a great breakfast meal for the kids if you want to control their sugar.  Dairy Free & Gluten Free = Yay!

Ingredients: 

2 cups pecans — you can save money if you buy them in bulk like this

2 Tbsp flax seeds

2 Tbsp chia seeds — where to find

pinch sea salt

milk of choice

toppings of choice

Directions: 

Place first four ingredients into a high-powered blender or food processor and process/pulse until ground (be careful not to overdo it, or you will get pecan butter!)

Place into a glass jar to store in the fridge

When you want to make the hot cereal, just heat up 1 cup of your favorite milk (we use raw milk, but you can certainly use non-dairy milks) and add 3/4-1 cup of the mixture, depending on how thick you want your no-oatmeal

Heat over medium heat in a saucepan on the stovetop, stirring continuously until it begins to thicken

Remove from heat and allow to sit for about 5 more minutes, it will thicken up even more

Makes about 2 1/2 cups of prepared hot cereal, it thickens and expands

Stir in your favorite toppings, we prefer grass-fed butter and raisins! We also add in homemade granola and spices too!

Original photo and recipe source found here:  http://blog.20dishes.com/no-oatmeal-hot-breakfast-cereal-grain-free-gluten-free/