Adobo Butternut Squash Soup

This particular bowl of Adobo Butternut Squash Soup is topped with Cuban Ropa Vieja
and shredded Kelly Gold Dubliner Cheese. (I use My Heart Beets Instant Pot Ropa Vieja Recipe)

1 T coconut or olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tsp Adobo Seasoning (depending on your tastes) * I use Frontier Adobo Blend
1 large or two small butternut squashes, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 potatoes, cleaned, cubed
* optional - add other root veggies such as carrots or sweet potato
1 can of coconut milk
2 cups water (add more depending on desired thickness)
salt and pepper to taste.

1.  Heat oil in your soup pot. Add onions and celery, cook on low heat till onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add Adobo spices and cook for 1-2 more minutes

2.  Add squash and potato cubes. Stir well. Cook for 2-5 minutes.

3. Add coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer for about 15-20 minutes, till squash and potatoes are easily broken with a spoon. Blend in batches in a blender or use immersion blender. Pout back into pot and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Experiment with toppings, but most of all enjoy the flavor experience!

Chorizo Seasoned Chickpeas

Delicious chickpea recipe as a vegan option with the flavors of chorizo. 
Use in tacos, rice dishes, paella, ect.



Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 T smoked or regular paprika
• 1/4 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 3/4 tsp course salt (use less if you are using a finer ground salt)
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• about 1 1/2 cups or (1 - 16 oz can) cooked garbanzo beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes with juices
• 3 T red wine vinegar

Directions:

• Heat olive oil or coconut oil in a pan, add onion and cook on medium-low till translucent.
• Mix together in a small bowl: garlic, paprika, red pepper, salt, coriander, cumin, and black pepper.
• Add spice mix to onions, cook together for 1 minute. 
• Add chickpeas, tomatoes and vinegar. Cook together on medium for 10 minutes or longer for flavors to develop. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 1 pound of strawberries, cleaned and sliced
• 3-4 stalks of rhubarb, cleaned and chopped
• 1/2-1 cup cane juice crystals (more or less depending on your sweetness preference)
• 2 T arrowroot powder

Topping:

• 1 cup gluten free flour
• 1/4 or 1/2 cup brown sugar (depending on your sweetness preference)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 12 T butter 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Mix Topping ingredients together and pour into a baking dish of your choice (7"x 11" rectangle, 9"x9" square or 9 inch pie pan)
• Mix together topping ingredients with a fork or pastry blender till crumbly. Pour topping over the filling in the pan.
• Bake for 1 hour. 
• Enjoy plain or with ice cream. Yum!

Pumpkin Pancakes - Gluten Free

Ingredients:

• 3 cups gluten free flour (I use the Namaste Gluten-Free Flour Blend)
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups water
• 14-16 oz pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 4 T olive or melted coconut oil
• 4 T apple cider vinegar

Directions:

• Preheat one or two griddles or cast iron skillets for cooking. Use butter or oil on cooking surface if needed. 
• Whisk dry ingredients together
• Add wet ingredients and stir till completely mixed
• Cook pancakes and enjoy!

Shawarma Spice Blend

Mix together:

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom 
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric 
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground paprika
• 2 T ground cumin 
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 

Shawarma Meatballs

Shawarma Meatballs at Top, Bacon Meatballs at Bottom of photo

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef or lamb
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Shawarma Spice Blend 

RECIPE TO MAKE YOUR OWN SPICE BLEND:

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom 
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric 
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground paprika
• 2 T ground cumin 
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with your hands, don't overwork the meat.
• Form into walnut sized balls. I often baked meatballs in a mini muffin tin or use a baking sheet. 
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or till done to your liking. 
• Delicious with Tahini Sauce 

Bacon Meatballs

Shawarma Meatballs at Top, Bacon Meatballs at Bottom of photo

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef (use grass fed beef if you can)
• 2-3 pieces of bacon, raw and cut into small pieces (I use  kitchen scissors for this)
• 1 tsp of your favorite spice blend (I love Frontier's OrganicVegetable Blend as my multi-purpose, mild, basic, go-to kind of spice)
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1 T flaxseed, ground 

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with your hands, don't overwork the meat.
• Form into walnut sized balls. I often baked meatballs in a mini muffin tin or use a baking sheet. 
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or till done to your liking. 
• Serve with BBQ sauce

Cajun Chicken Skillet

Ingredients:

• 6-12 oz chicken  (I used Costco's Nature Raised Farms Organic Grilled Chicken Breast Strips - This is so easy since they are already cooked and frozen. But you can use any chicken breast or thigh, cut in strips)
• 2 T Cooking Fat of Choice (butter, ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, ect)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-4 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 large handfuls of cleaned and chopped kale
• 1 handful of green beans
• (Any leftover roasted veggies that you might have would be a delicious addition as well. I added roasted sweet potatoes from the previous day. Also....add bell peppers or summer squash or whatever veggies you have)
• 2 tsp Cajun Seasoning - use more or less depending on your taste preference....always taste it! (I used Frontier's Organic Cajun Seasoning...it was great)
• 1 avocado, sliced
• salt to taste

Directions:

• Warm 1 T cooking fat of choice in a skillet, add chicken, add 1 t Cajun Seasoning Blend and cook till chicken is done. (If you using already cooked chicken, just heat till warmed through)
• While chicken is cooking, warm 1 T fat in a second large skillet. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook over medium heat till veggies are as soft as you desire.
• Add 1 t Cajun Seasoning Blend. Cook together for 2 minutes. 
• Add kale, greeb beans and any other pre-cooked leftover veggies that you want to use. Cook together till kale and green are cooked how you like. 
• Stir in chicken. Add salt to taste. 
• Serve topped with sliced avocado .

Vegan Paella

Ingredients:

-------------Chorizo seasoned garbanzo beans and lentils-------------------

• about 1 1/2 cups or (1 - 16 oz can) cooked garbanzo beans
• about 1/3 - 1/2 cup dry lentils, soak them 15 minutes up to a few hours
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 T red wine vinegar
• 2 T smoked or regular paprika
• 1/4 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 3/4 tsp course salt (use less if you are using a finer ground salt)
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

-----------------Remaining Ingredients -------------------------------------------

• 1/4 tsp Saffron threads
• 1 T smoked or regular paprika
• 1 3/4 tsp course salt (use less if using fine ground salt)
• 3 T olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced or sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced or 1 - 14oz can of diced tomatoes in their juices
• 1 handful of green beans, leave whole or cut in half
• 1 handful of frozen broccoli
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 4 cups water 
• 1 tsp coconut aminos
• 2 cups paella rice (I have been using La Preferida's Fancy Pearl Rice - Arroz Tipo Valenciano that I can find at my local Mexican Grocery Store.)
• Artichoke hearts (optional)
• Lemon wedges for garnish (I love using my Moroccan Lemons for garnish on this recipe.)
• chopped parsley for garnish
• lid for your skillet/ pan or foil to cover

-----Directions----------------------------------------------------------------------

• Prepare Chorizo seasoned garbanzo beans and lentils 
• Rinse the lentils. Pour them into a sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook till lentils are soft. 
• Combine lentils, cooked garbanzo beans and remaining ingredients. 
• Set aside and start on the rest of the recipe
• Place saffron threads in a small bowl with about 3 T warm water, set aside.
• Over medium heat, heat a 15-inch paella pan or large skillet. Add olive or coconut oil and onions, bell pepper, garlic and cook till onions are fragrant. 
• Stir in tomatoes, chorizo seasoned garbanzo beans and lentils, paprika and saffron. Cook for 3 minutes.
• Add any other veggies (broccoli, green beans, ect.) Save frozen peas for later, so they don't get too mushy.
• Add 4 cups water and coconut aminos and bring to a boil
• Sprinkle paella rice evenly throughout the pan, Cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. You may rotate the pan for even cooking, but don't stir. 
• Add peas, artichokes and cover with foil and cook till remaining liquid is absorbed. 
• Serve with lemons and fresh parsley 

Homemade Gummies

ingredients:

• 2 cups fruit juice (I often use Lakewood Black Cherry, Blueberry Blend or Grape)
• 1-2 T lemon or lime juice
• 1/2 cup gelatin powder (I use Great Lakes Gelatin)
• 1 - 4 T maple syrup (depending on desired sweetness)

directions:

• Bring fruit juice and maple syrup to a simmer
• Slowly add gelatin to the simmering juice, use a whisk or immersion blender to avoid clumps
• Once gelatin is dissolved pour mixture into silicon molds 
• Put gummies into the refrigerator or freezer till the gelatin is set

Lavender Honey Latte

 Add 1 T culinary lavender and 1-2 tsp honey to about 1 1/2-2  cups of almond

 Simmer milk mixture while you brew espresso

I use a stovetop espresso pot because it is simple and makes great espresso.

Strain lavender from the almond milk, froth milk if desired, fill your mug 3/4 full of lavender infused honey milk, then pour your desired amount of espresso over the top.

Caper and Olive Tuna Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 can of tuna (I love Wild Planet's Albacore Tuna...and you can find it at Costco!)
• 1-3 T mayo (depending on your preference)
• 1 T capers
• 3-4 olives (I used giant green ones, but use what you like)
• 1 dash lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 T onion, chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix it all together and serve it over your favorite combination of greens. I'm using an organic spinach and arugula blend that I found at Aldi! I find that this combo of greens doesn't get slimy as fast as some of the more delicate greens.

Almond Butter Brownies

- recipe adapted from Elana's Pantry "Gluten Free Brownies"

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 oz) jar of almond butter 
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey (I have cut this to even 1/4 cup and still delicious)
• 1 T vanilla
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 t sea salt
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Blend almond butter till smooth with a hand blender
• Blend in eggs, honey/syrup and vanilla
• Blend in cocoa, salt and baking soda, then fold in chocolate chips
• Line a 9x13 pan with parchment or grease the pan
• Pour in batter
• Bake at 325 degrees for 25-40 minutes. I like my brownies gooey, but done. So, usually around 30 minutes. Check them with a toothpick in the center. If the toothpick is clean, you are good! Don't over cook them!

Chinese Five Spice Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 T coconut oil 
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 inch fresh ginger grated, or about 1/2 tsp dried ginger root
• 1/2 to 1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 4 cups chicken bone broth, chicken stock, miso broth or veggie stock
• 2 tsp coconut aminos
• salt and pepper to taste
• cilantro and/or scallions for garnish
• hot sauce if desired
• ramen or rice noodles if desired

Directions:

• Heat coconut oil in a pan
• Add onions and cook on low till transluscent
• Add garlic, ginger and 5 Spice, cook 2 minutes
• Add celery and carrots, cook on medium heat till veggies begin to soften (about 10 minutes)
• Add broth of choice and coconut aminos, bring to a simmer and cook 10-15 minutes.
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Serve garnished with cilantro and/or scallions. Add hot sauce if desired. 
• Add cooked ramen or rice noodles to bowl when serving if desired.

Greek Avgolemono (Egg Lemon) Soup

I combined a recipe I found online from Food and Wine Magazine with tips from a friend. I've been intimidated to make this soup, but it was simple and it is so delicious! This recipe is easy to make in large amounts as well, just do the blender portion in batches.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 eggs
• 4 T lemon juice
• 2 cup cooked and warm white rice
• 1 pound cooked chicken, shredded (use more or less chicken depending on the "heartiness" desired. chicken meat could be from a rotisserie, chicken breast or whatever you have)
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Warm chicken broth to almost a boil, then simmer
• Combine in a blender: 1 cup broth, 3 eggs, 4 T lemon juice and 1/2 cup cooked rice. Puree till smooth
• Add puree to simmering broth along with remaining rice and chicken
• Top with fresh dill
• Season with salt and pepper to taste

Fermented Moroccan Lemons

Ingredients:

• about 2 pounds of lemons, sliced
• 1/4 cup course celtic sea salt or course sea salt (if you use regular salt, it may end up way to salty)
• fresh lemon juice to cover (about 1/4-1/2 cup)

Directions:

• Slice lemons (discard the ends or use for another purpose)
• Layer the lemons in a mason jar (quart or half gallon size) add salt between each layer of lemons. Once the the lemons are layered, squeeze them down to create juice with a mallet, pounder or wooden spoon.
• There should be a lot of juice from the lemons, but you may need about 1/4-1/2 cup extra lemon juice to cover the lemons completely. (You can use bottled lemon juice, but make sure it is 100% lemon juice with nothing added!)
• I usually put a small 4 oz mason jar on top of my ferments to weight them down and keep everything covered in the salt brine. 
• Cover with a mason jar lid, screw it on and let it sit in room temperature for 2-4 weeks. Check it periodically. The lemons are ready when they taste tangy instead of salty. 

Moroccan lemons are delicious with many dishes. Serving suggestions: Over Paella, Use to make a fresh relish with herbs and veggies, Over Curries or Moroccan dishes, With Chicken or Fish, Even delicious as a pizza topping

Skillet Mushrooms, Kale & Sausage

Simple way to use up leftovers or random veggies!

Ingredients:

• Butter, Ghee or coconut oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 6-12 oz mushrooms, sliced
• about 6 oz kale, cleaned and chopped (more or less)
• 1 tsp favorite spice blend (I used Frontier Vegetable Blend plus a little paprika)
• Italian Sausage sliced or bulk sausage out of the casing (I used Organic Chicken Sausage from Costco!)
• Any leftover roasted veggies, potatoes, ect

Directions:

• Melt fat in a skillet 
• Saute onions and mushrooms as long as you like... they get more delicious with time
• Add spices, cook for 2 minutes
• Add kale and stir together. Meanwhile, brown sausage in a separate skillet (or fry an egg to go on top)
• Stir in any leftover veggies that you need to use up and continue to cook till everything is warm.
• Add sausage (or top with a fried egg)

Enjoy!

Roasted Sesame Seaweed Salt

Ingredients:

• nori paper or seaweed snacks to cover a baking sheet
• 1/2 cup whole (not hulled) sesame seeds
• zest of one lemon or lime
• about 2 handfuls of cleaned, dried, de-stemed kale
• 1/4 tsp spirulina 
• 1/4 tsp course sea salt (add more salt if you want to use it more as a seasoned salt)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Spread nori paper or roasted seaweed snacks to cover a baking sheet. Sprinkle sesame seeds and zest over seaweed.
• Spread two handfuls of clean, dry and de-stemed kale on a second baking sheet.
• Roast for both sheets for about 20 minutes till crispy (check occasionally and stir) you don't want it to burn. 
• Let cool and crisp for about 5-10 minutes.
• Add roasted ingredients to a food processor or blender. I used a Vitamix. Also add spirulina and course sea salt. Pulse or blend to desired consistency. 

Use to season veggies, meat or sprinkle over your salad! 

Roasted Vegetable Nachos

This is a simple and delicious way to use leftover roasted veggies. In this case I used parsnips, but you could use any roasted vegetable that you have on hand (carrots, sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts...)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place leftover roasted vegetables on a baking sheet. (I love a good stoneware pan for this because it is so easy to clean, but you can always use some parchment paper to avoid the sticking if you don't have stoneware.)
3. Spread over the top of your to roasted veggies your choice of protein (leftover taco meat, black beans, bacon, whatever you have on hand)
4. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.
5. Heat in the oven about 10 minutes or until everything is warm and the cheese is melted.
6. Top with guacamole and pico de Gallo or salsa.

Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients:

1 T coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

3 medium leeks, chopped

3 stalks celery or one celery root, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced (or more if you love garlic)

1 cup mixed fresh herbs (ie: rosemary, thyme, basil, chives..ect), or 1 T dried Italian Seasoning 

3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (or use any combination of sweet potatoes, rutabaga, parsnips, turnips, carrots and regular potatoes)

4 cups bone broth, vegetable stock or water

1 can coconut milk

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1.  Warm oil in the bottom of a large pot. Add onion, leeks, and celery. Saute over low hear till onions are translucent. (5-10 minutes) Stir in garlic and other spices/herbs and cook for 2 minutes. 

2.  Add potatoes and/or root vegetables and cook about 10 minutes over medium heat till potatoes start to soften. (You could boil or bake the potatoes ahead of time to speed this up)
3.  Add broth and coconut milk. Bring to an almost boil and then simmer about 10 minutes till potatoes/ veggies are super soft. (Add more more less liquid depending on desired consistency).

4.  Blend in blender or use immersion blender till smooth

Egg Drop Soup

Super Simple!

Pour 4 cups of chicken stock or bone broth into a pan. Add dash of fish sauce and salt to taste.
Bring to a boil.

While broth is coming to a boil. Whisk together 3 or 4 eggs.

Remove broth from heat once it is boiling. Pour whisked egg in a thin steady stream into the hot broth and stir as you pour. Eggs will cook when they hit the broth.

Garnish with cilantro, scallions or hot sauce if desired. My kids love it plain.

Energy Bites

Pulse together in food processor till ingredients form flour like texture:

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup cashews

Add and process the following till a sticky dough like texture is formed:

• 12-13 pitted dates
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 T hemp seeds
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Pour mixture into a bowl and work the following into the dough with your fingers:

• 1/2 cup peanut butter (or more till desired consistency) 
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, raisins or craisins

Roll into walnut sized balls. 

Saffron and Paprika Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 T butter, coconut oil or olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 tsp saffron threads soaked in 3 T warm water
• 1 T paprika
• 1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
• 4 cups chicken, pork or veggie stock 
• 1 cup coconut milk, almond milk or whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans
• 1/2 pound cooked pork, sausage or ground beef (I used 1 cup of leftover pulled pork from the day before)
  omit meat to make vegetarian/ vegan

Directions:

• Warm butter/oil in a pot
• Saute onions till translucent
• Add: tomato, bell pepper, celery, carrot and cook till beginning to soften
• Add: saffron/water, paprika, red pepper flakes and salt to taste, (add wine and cook till reduced in half) - if not adding wine, cook together 2-3 minutes. 
• Add stock, milk, beans and meat. Simmer till everything is as soft as desired. Add more water or broth for desired consistency. Salt and Pepper to taste
• Optional: Add a dash of fresh lemon juice when serving