Garlic & Herb Seared Scallops, Arugula Caprese Salad & Sugar-Free Lemonade

I'm all about quick meals lately, things have never been busier for me. This only took about 10-15 minutes! My first crack at scallops, probably one of the only seafoods I like. I have also been experimenting with different greens lately. My usual go to is spinach or kale because it can be put in just about anything but I had arugula on hand for this and it was just as delicious as the spinach caprese! Hope you enjoy :)

Garlic & Herb Seared Sea Scallops:

- dry sea scallops

- organic butter

-olive oil

- parsley (fresh chopped or dry)

- granulated garlic

Remove abductor muscles on the scallops. Clean and dry thoroughly with paper towels. In a large stainless steal frying pan heat up equal parts butter and olive oil on high until pan is evenly coated. Sear scallops about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown flipping with tongs. Once browned, turn heat to low, add a little more butter, parsley and granulated garlic. Allow to sit for a minute. Remove pan from heat, remove scallops and place on a serving dish. Scrape any butter, parsley and garlic left over

and top the scallops with it. 

Arugula Caprese Salad

- organic arugula
- organic basil, chopped

- organic tomatos, chopped

- organic whole milk mozarella (chopped)

- balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze

- olive oil (optional)

Mix & enjoy :)

Sugar-Free Lemonade

- organic lemon juice

- purified water

-xylitol or liquid stevia

Mix to taste.

Raw Black & Blueberry Cobbler

This was a random experiment so I'm sorry I don't have exact measurements-- luckily it's something that's pretty easy and easy to adapt to your taste perferences. Caution to not over do it on the dates to nuts or dates to fruit ratio because it may be too sweet. Also really yummy with cherries! Hope you enjoy :)

what you'll need:
raw almonds
organic blueberries
organic blackberries
dates

1st layer: raw almonds & dates blended in food processor
2nd layer: berries
3rd layer: blackberry, blueberry & dates blended in a food processor
& repeat :)

Vanilla Coconut Protein Balls

Packed with good healthy fats and protein! These are lightly sweet-- if you prefer something sweeter there are options below for chocolate coatings :)

what you need:2 Egg Whites3 tbsp Xylitol
1 tbsp Raw Local Honey
1 scoop Jay Robb Vanilla Protein Powder
2/3 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

what to do:Place egg whites, xylitol and honey into a bowl and whisk. Add in protein powder and shredded coconut and stir until completely coated. Set aside for a couple moments. Coat baking sheet with coconut oil (or coconut oil spray) or use parchment paper. Form mixture into 1 inch balls and bake at 300 until they begin to get golden. 

*I saved the egg yolks and made hollandaise sauce once, and banana custard another time! You can also make icecreams. I don't like to waste the yolk-- it's the most nutritious part!

extra: if you want them dipped in chocolate
option 1: can melt down coconut oil, unsweetened chocolate, cinnamon and liquid stevia
option 2: can melt down a simply lite chocolate bar
option 3: can melt down a dark chocolate bar
option 4: can melt down coconut oil with cocoa powder & liquid stevia or xyltol.

Balsamic Chicken

what you need:
-hormone free, vegetarian fed chicken
-organic whole milk mozzarella
-organic tomatoes
-balsamic vinegar
-balsamic glaze
-grapeseed oil
(easily adaptable to how many you are feeding)

what to do:
Thinly slice chicken breasts and fry in grapseed oil in a pan until cooked through. Coat with balsamic vinegar in the pan and allow to simmer on low for a couple minutes. Add mozzarella slices on top and allow to melt. Transfer to your dish, top with diced tomatoes and balsamic glaze and voila! :)

Vanilla Marshmallow Brown Rice Crispy Treats

I used to make home made rice crispy treats ALL the time in high school, and after being haunted by them or other sticky cereal bars at every airport shop I began to salivate and had to healthify them. This isn't necessarily a health food recipe, it's more of a "better than" recipe to dodge all the junk in typical rice crispy treats.

what you need:

1 stick of organic butter (raw if possible)
2 packs of La Nouba Sugar-Free Marshmallows
(can get these on amazon, comes in a 6 pack.. save some for s'mores this summer!)
1/2 back of organic brown rice cakes, crumbled
1 tsp Trader Joe's Vanilla Bourbon Extract

what to do:
In a medium sauce pan melt down butter on med heat. While that is melting, crumble up rice cakes into a medium sized bowl. Add marshmallows to the butter and stir til smooth, then add in vanilla. Transfer marshmallow sauce over brown rice and mix well. Transfer into a glass dish and allow to cool in the refrigerator... if you can wait that long :)

love peanut butter rice crispy treats?! Me too! And carbs are best when eaten with protein so spread a layer of natural peanut butter on top!

Quick Peanut Butter Granola

So simple and quick! Made of typical household staples, and great to make a big batch and store on hand. I love it tossed in with organic Greek yogurt flavored with pure vanilla extract (I love the vanilla bourbon one from Trader Joe's) and liquid stevia or xylitol, with unsweetened vanilla almond or coconut milk or just on it's own.

what you need:
4 tbsp natural peanut butter
4 tbsp local raw honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup of gluten free oats
coconut oil spray

what to do:
Melt peanut butter and honey together and blend well. Add in and blend vanilla extract and cinnamon. Coat the oats thoroughly and spread on a baking sheet at 325 for 7-8 minutes. Allow to cool and harden. Enjoy! :)

Ranch Kale Chips!

If I could insert a big eyed smilie face with hearts on the eyeballs right now I would. SO obsessed with these. Literally, I could eat them all day. One of those things that taste better than they look. I've been a kale chip fiend for quite some time, even with the left over bits of kale that always hang out in my teeth after consumption and are near impossible to get out has not deferred me from them in the least. I'm a big fan of anything healthy that actually tastes good-- and sneaking kale in any way that I can. Kale is the most nutrient dense food on the planet! I always kept it pretty simple on the baking sheet with garlic salt and pepper-- until I got some ranch flavored ones at whole foods and crushed a whole bag at a time. They were expensive, and those of you who know me know I always get the bulk bag of kale (usually have to find creative ways to eat it all by myself before it goes bad) so this was victorious, and way cheaper. I tweaked the ingredients from the bag of them I got at whole foods and came up with this. I made some salt n vinegar ones also, but they weren't as good. I'll keep trying on those ones! 

What you need:1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 1 hour to soften1/2 bag of organic chopped kale1/4 cup purified water1 tbsp apple cider vinegar1 (heaping) tbsp nutritional yeast1 tsp dried parsley1 tsp garlic powder1 tsp dried dill1/2 tsp onion powder1/2 tsp ground black pepper1/2 tsp sea salt1/2 tsp paprika

What to do:
Blend  the cashews, water and seasonings in a food processor until smooth. Place mixture in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Wash the kale thoroughly and remove the stems. Add kale into the large bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands until kale is evenly and well coated. Transfer the kale to your dehydrator. Dehydrate overnight or until dried and crispy. I just have a cheap dehydrator with no settings, but If you have settings on your dehydrator according to google it will take about 5-8 hours at 115 degrees. If you do not have a dehydrator you can try them in a baking sheet at 350 until crispy. I used to always do kale chips in the oven, just drizzled with olive oil or grapeseed oil, garlic salt and pepper but they come out much better in a dehydrator-- no burnt or soggy ones! Dehydrators are about $30 on amazon or walmart! Dehydrated apples are amazing too with cinnamon and xylitol! I'll add that post soon :) Hope you love em!

Salt N Vinegar-- these ones I've found to come out better on a cookie sheet, couldn't taste the vinegar as much when dehydrated. Spread on cookie sheet drizzle with a little olive oil, sea salt. Spray bottle of vinegar works best to distribute it well so they all get coated but don't get soggy. Bake at 350 until crispy. The spray bottle of vinegar can double as natural disinfectant cleaner ;)

Healthy Orange Chicken

Ok. I'm gonna be upfront about this. The first time I made this it came out incredible, like lick the bowl good... but the second time it came out awful. I'm hoping you get the first experience rather than the latter and I will re-attempt this again soon to see what I may have done wrong. The second time I kind of wung it in someone else's kitchen and it was much too salty and the sauce didn't thicken... I'm thinking I over-did it on the liquid aminos and didn't cook it in the right kind of pan. So stick to this recipe as much as possible, not a lot of room for free-styling on this one! This pairs really well with the "fried rice" recipe a couple ones below on here! Hope you enjoy :)

1lb of boneless vegetarian fed chicken
(I like thighs, more tender but breasts will work also!)
3TBS coconut oil
2TBS of liquid aminos (when it came out gross I put like 4 trying to thicken the sauce)
juice of two medium or large oranges
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp fresh ginger or ground ginger to taste if fresh isn't available
3 chopped green onions

In a medium size shallow skillet, add the orange juice, ginger, garlic powder and liquid aminos . Set over medium heat and let simmer to reduce and thicken while the chicken cooks. In a saute pan, heat coconut oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped chicken and cook until golden. Add the chicken to the sauce pot and stir to coat with the orange sauce. Serve topped with sliced green onions. 

Creamy Vanilla Avocado Milkshake

Yummmmm :) Hello you luscious thing! Icey, sweet, creamy and refreshing. This is pretty versatile if you want to squeeze it in for breakfast, as a snack, with a light meal or as dessert. Can do w/ or without protein and adjust the ingredients to your preference.

1/2 avocado

1 cup unsweetened vanilla coconut milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 tsp Trader Joe's vanilla bourbon extract

1/2 scoop of Jay Robb vanilla whey protein

Ice

Stevia or xylitol to taste if needed

Blend in a high power blender until smooth and creamy & enjoy :)

Fried "Rice"

1 head of organic cauliflower
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium/large cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbs organic butter (claified/ghee if paleo)
2 carrot sticks, peeled and cut or chopped
liquid aminos to taste
2 vegetarian fed eggs
salt & pepper to taste

Pulse cauliflower in a food processor or shred with a cheese grater until it resembles grains of rice. Saute onion and garlic in butter until onions begin to brown. Add in carrots and saute on medium to low heat until softened. Crack two eggs into frying pan and mix in with a spatula until cooked then chop up with a spatula. Add "rice" into pan and mix until heated. Add liquid aminos to taste and  salt and pepper to taste if desired.

Thin Mints

Beat the girl scout cookie temptation with these sugar free, nothing artificial, protien packed thin mints :)

1/2 cup butter or coconut oil
1/4 cup xylitol
1 egg
4 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp mint extract, divided
3 1/2 cups blanched almond flour 

chocolate dip:
This can be done a few ways. I like to use Simply Lite bars (dark chocolate for these) from Trader Joe's, (3 bars should be enough for this recipe). If you'd like something less processed you may melt down butter or coocnut oil, unsweetened chocolate, vanilla extract + pepermint extract, cinnamon, and powdered xylitol or stevia to taste.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, cream the butter and sweetener together. Add the egg, mint, salt, and baking soda to the bowl and blend well. Slowly add in the almond flour and the cocoa powder.

Make 1 inch balls using your hands, place on baking sheet and flatten ball with the bottom of a measuring cup or any kind of flat surface to make a round cookie. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, or until the start to brown along the edges. Remove from oven and cool the cookies completely before removing from the cookie sheet. If you have time to freeze them before dipping, it works best. 

In a double boiler melt down your chocolate or your chocolate ingredients and you may either dip the cookie on both sides or use a spoon to smooth chocolate on each side before placing it on wax or parchment paper to cool in the refrigerator. These are great if stored and/or eaten frozen for a few mos also! 

Lobster Alfredo wth Spaghetti Squash

This Christmas season I was lucky enough to fall into one of the best jobs I've ever had at Maine Lobster Direct on the wharf in Portland, ME. It was a fun job with pretty views (see below) and really great people.  Another perk? Whatever wasn't perfect quality to ship, was put in the employee fridge for us :) (If you want perfect authentic Maine Lobster and other sea food dinners delivered to your door any time of the year call 1-800-556-2783!). I'm not a big seafood fan at all, unfortunately, but I do like lobster sometimes...and love almost anything in a cheese or cream sauce. My boss said his favorite way to eat lobster was in an asiago cheese sauce over veggies or pasta, so thanks to him for inspiring this post. Thanks Lee! (who will probably never see this).

what you need:
1.5 cups thickly chopped lobster (I used tails but any mix is fine)
1 pint organic heavy cream
1 stick organic butter
1/2 cup organic parmesan cheese
1-2 spagetti squash
salt & pepper to taste

what to do:
After lobster is cooked, remove from shell and tear or chop into chunks. You can saute the chunks in butter and a little garlic if you'd like but not necessary. In a medium frying pan melt a stick of butter on low heat. Add in the cream and continue to stir until it bubbles a bit. Add in your cheese and continue to heat until it thickens up a little more. Add in your lobster, and set aside off the heat for a few minutes. Serve over spagetti squash, spiraled zucchini, miracle noodles or any other grain-free pasta alternative.

Dijon Chicken

One of my favorite go-tos. So easy, so delicious!

What you need:

1.5lb hormone free vegetarian fed chicken thighs

1/2 cup dijon mustard (check label find one w/o sugar, or make your own)

1/4 cup maple syrup or natures hollow sugar free maple syrup

1 TBS apple cider vinegar

What to do:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees (not a typo). Mix together dijon mustard, maple syrup and rice wine vinegar.Place chicken in an oven proof baking dish lined with aluminum foil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the mustard mixture over them, turning the thighs in the mixture so they are fully coated.Bake for 40 minutes or until the meat is cooked (155 degrees). Avoid cutting into chicken to see if it's done. Halfway through baste the chicken with the sauce. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Caprese Eggs Benedict

Good morning :) I love big weekend breakfasts and this is a combination of two of my favorite things! A spin on a classic, skip the pork and bread and try this! The flavors are incredible together :) Hope you love it!

What you'll need: 
organic tomato
whole milk organic mozzarella
fresh basil leaves
vegetarian fed eggs

hollandaise sauce
1 1/2 sticks of organic butter
6 vegetarian fed eggs (yolks)
1/2 cup boiling water
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp sea salt
(optional pinch of white pepper and cayenne pepper)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Prep your plate first with sliced tomato, mozzarella and basil. To make the sauce melt down butter over a double boiler and once melted whisk in egg yolks. Be sure to whisk continuously so that the eggs do not cook. Once those ingredients are smoothly blended  slowly add in the boiling water a little at a time. Stir continuously on medium heat until the sauce thickens. Take off of heat and whisk in lemon juice and spices. Poach your eggs and add on top of the tomato, mozzarella and basil. Spoon holandaise sauce over the top and add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Pesto Pizza (BBQ Chicken Pizza, Buffalo Chicken Pizza)

YUMMMM! Maybe I'm partial because I love pesto and I looove pizza but this is a quick easy go to for a core plan lunch or appetizer at a get together. If gluten is not an issue for you, organic sprouted grains are the way to go. Ezekiel breads, tortillas, cereal, buns and english muffins are probably the best line of good quality organic sprouted grain products out there that I know of (usually in the freezer section and best stored in the fridge). Organic sprouted grains are much more easily able to digest. Sprouting grains break down enzyme inhibitors so that your body can more easily absorb calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc. It also increases B vitamins, and is a decent source of protein and fiber. Ezekiel breads also don't have any stripped or processed flours, bad oils, sugar or additives like many breads do. Keep in mind these breads still break down to sugar, so best in moderation and not too late in the day.

Have fun with these, there is so much you can do. Try different sauces, toppings and cheeses. Some ideas?
Buffalo Chicken Pizza (mix a little butter and hot sauce, coat cooked shredded chicken, spread across with some cheddar or mozzarella, some blue cheese chunks (Trader Joe's has raw).
BBQ Chicken Pizza make your own BBQ sauce without sugar/honey or use natures hollow bbq sauce, chicken, red onion and your choice of cheese.
Be creative, whatever you normally like but be mindful of the ingredients of sauces and quality of meats and vegetables if you use them.


I make my own pesto because I don't typically like the taste of store baught and it's usually made with canola oil or some other form of rancid oil.

Pesto:
2oz fresh basil (usually a pack)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup of walnuts or pecans (pine nuts are usually too expensive)
1/2 parmesan
2 big cloves of garlic

Pulse together in a food processor. Taste and adjust to your likings and add more olive oil if necessary.

What you need!
Ezekiel Tortilla(s)
Raw cheddar or mozzarella cheese
Organic tomato
Pesto (recipe above)


Set oven at 350. Spread a layer of pesto on to your tortilla, cover with cheese and thinly sliced tomatoes. Bake until crispy and enjoy!

Italian Wedding Soup

One of my favorite soups :) Try this delicious, healthy alternative to skip the carbs and gluten!   

meatballs
16 oz grass-fed beef
2 cups of parmesan cheese (raw if possible)
2 organic free range vegetarian fed eggs
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp dried parsley
olive oil (about 1-2 tbsps)

In a medium sized mixing bowl add all ingredients except olive oil, mix together with your hands until well blended. Shape into bite size meat balls. Line on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake on 350 for about 25-30 minutes until browned and slightly crispy or fry in grapeseed or coconut oil.

Soup
1 medium yellow onion
1 head of organic celery
3 cartons of organic chicken broth (32oz)
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
4 large handfuls of organic spinach or 1 head of escarole, chopped
4 organic free range vegetarian eggs
1 cup of parmesan cheese (raw if possible)
(1 can of white beans would be yummy in this, if weight loss is not a concern)

Add broth, chopped onions, chopped celery, spices and meatballs in a large sauce pan. Make sure to add in any remains of cheese and oil left from the meatballs for extra flavor. Allow to simmer on low heat until vegetables are tender. Add in spinach and allow it to wilt. In a separate bowl, whip eggs and parmesan cheese. Stir into the soup and allow to simmer for a few minutes before serving.  

Healthy Sugar Free, Dairy Free Hot Cocoa!

It's about that time of year and to me, this is just about the only upside to the cold weather :p Soups and hot chocolate season! This recipe is a rough recipe for one serving but adjust it your taste or serving size!

1 cup of coconut milk or raw whole milk
1-1.5 tbsp coco powder
1/4 tsp natural vanilla extract (can also add in, but not instead of a little peppermint or raspberry extract)
Xylitol, truvia or stevia packets to taste
1-2 La Nouba Sugar Free Marshmallows

Whisk together and heat on stove until warm! Perfect cold day treat.

Gluten Free Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookie Balls

Well, Hello! Sorry I have not posted anything in a while, things have been super hectic but I have tons of recipes to refine and lots in my head I wanna make so stay tuned because I'm on vacation next week so I will update the site! For the most part, I try to avoid or limit grains and gluten whenever possible because I've primarily been on the advanced plan but lately I have been dropping back down to the core plan and adding in sprouted and whole grains once in a while. I LOVE using Ezekiel tortillas for pizzas or Ezekiel break for pesto and tomato grilled cheeses with raw cheese! No bake cookies are one of my favorite things so I decided to healthify some for those of you who are on the core plan! The point is to moderate grains and watch out for the quality of them. Organic sprouted grains and stone ground grains are the best, if you have an issue with gluten steer clear of these items and try other alternatives with almond flour or you can order paleo bread online. The problem arises when we are sick and fuel the fire with a high sugar, high carb diet and/or it becomes a habit for us. Carbohydrates break down immediately to sugar and sugar wreaks havoc on your body in a multitude of ways, it is at the root of nearly all disease so it is best to enjoy them occasionally and find fun ways to replace them.

* coconut sugar really yummy low glycemic sweetener that is a great alternative for brown sugar, I used it because I ran out of xylitol so you can replace it for xylitol. 


3 cups of gluten free stone ground oats
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup xylitol
4 tbs coco powder
1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk, unsweetened coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk
1 cup natural peanut butter, valencia if possible
(check the label, no added sugar or oil... just peanuts)
1 stick of organic butter
1 tsp natural vanilla extract

Blend oats, xylitol, coconut sugar and coco powder in a mixing bowl. Melt down your butter and stir in vanilla and peanut butter til smooth. Scoop out with a spatula and blend together until well mixed. Roll into 1 inch balls on wax paper and chill in refrigerator. Makes 30 cookie balls.

Healthy Strawberry Cheesecake Icecream with Graham Cracker Crumble

My roommate had a full blown OBSESSION with Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake Ice cream. Not a flavor I would've ever tried on my own but after stealing a few bites of hers I understood her addiction and had to try and make it. This was one of those wung together recipes that came out really well :) Full of good fats, proteins & antioxidants and suuuuper yummy :) This way, if you're like us and can eat a whole pint of ice cream no problem... you'll get very full on less and it's actually really good for you!

what you need:
1 ripe avacado
10oz bag organic frozen strawberries
1/3 cup xylitol + 1 tablespoon
3-5 TBSP of unsweetened vanilla coconut milk
1 stick of organic butter (raw if possoble)
1 cup blanched almond flour

what to do:
In a food processor, blend avocado and frozen berries until smooth. If needed, add a milk substitute, like coconut milk. Add in 1/3 cup xylitol until well blended. In a separate bowl, measure out 2 cups of blanched almond flour and 1 tbs of xylitol. In a small sauce pan, melt 1 stick of butter and then pour it over almond flour, blend with a spoon until it is all mixed... should be a little chunky like crumbles. Fold/blend in to icecream and serve :) makes about 4 large servings.


or can make just strawberry!

Smoked Turkey Quiche Cups

Quick, easy and good to keep on hand for rushed mornings! And of course, delicious :) Big Al loves em, hope you do too!

1 packaged of Applegate nitrate free smoked turkey slices
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 tbs organic butter, coconut oil or grape seed oil
1 cup raw cheddar cheese (I love Trader Joe's Raw NY Yellow Cheddar)
4 hormone free vegetarian fed eggs


In a frying pan, melt butter or oil and caramelize onions. Line a muffin tin with turkey slices,
whip eggs, cheese and onions together and fill in the cups. You may add extra cheddar to the top. Bake on 350 until firm. Makes 8 cups!