Posted on

Strawberry Chia – Jam

Strawberry Chia Jam

The very thought of making jams or jellies brings thoughts of grandmas in aprons, hours spent in the kitchen, and cups upon cups of sugar ready to be added. But this recipe challenges all those old thoughts because it will take you 10 minutes to prep and only 20 minutes to set. AND there is zero added sugar!

I served this last night at a social gathering for my local Fit Chix gals with popovers and cheesecake.  It was a huge hit, and of course, folks wanted the recipe. So here it goes! 

The original recipe comes from Abby’s kitchen. I added a couple tweaks for personal preference and to make it compliant with the lowest sugar way to enjoy it possible!

  • Cook Time6 min
  • Ready in25

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups strawberries (fresh or frozen)
    • 2 T lemon juice
    • 2-3 T granulated monkfruit
    • 3 T chia seeds

    Directions

    1

    Slice strawberries into small pieces and place into medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. When they begin to get syrupy, mash them until they are no longer big lumps of berries.

    2

    Turn off the heat and add monkfruit and lemon.

    3

    Transfer to a container and add the chia seeds and let sit for 20 minutes.

    4

    Enjoy warm or refrigerate for later use.

    Recipe Categories
    Posted on

    Cookies & Buttercream Frosting

    Cookies and Buttercream Frosting

    I just love sugar cookies! The soft, sweet dough with just the right kind of frosting can take me back to my childhood faster than hearing my first and middle name together! But for so many obvious reasons, that old favorite done the same old way is just not on the radar anymore.

    So I set out this holiday season to make something truly decadent and something that NO ONE would even consider at a party was a healthy option. Some of the most amazing memories for me are when I spend time in the kitchen working with my girls. This memory will go down as one of the best ever because as we were trying to come up with various frosting options to test, we failed terribly at one of them. It was HORRIBLE! And we laughed and laughed as we spit it out! Turns out we were using an expired (by 4 years…gulp) ingredient without realizing it so, thankfully, our bonding didn’t continue in the hospital.

    We went back to the first frosting we made which we loved, improved upon it a bit more, and came out with something we are so proud of doing together and it seriously is friggin’ delicous! And the cookie, so soft and sweet! This is one for the family recipe books for sure!

    Note:

    You can sub almond flour for the Tigernut if you don’t have it but Tigernut is, by nature, a bit sweet on its own so you may want to increase your sweetener just a bit if using almond flour. Getcha some Tigernut…you won’t be sorry!

      Ingredients

      • 1.5 cups Tigernut flour
      • 1/3 cup Kerrygold butter (melted)
      • 1/3 cup coconut butter (melted)
      • 1/4 tsp baking soda
      • 1/4 tsp salt
      • 1/8 cup Lakanto Maple flavored monkfruit syrup or other syrup (*note, if not using tigernut flour, increase the syrup to 1/4 cup. tigernut flour is naturally a bit sweeter so you need less syrup for tigernut)
      • 1/2 tsp almond extract

      For Buttercream frosting:

      • 8 T Kerrygold butter
      • 2 tsp vanilla extract
      • 3 T powdered sweetener of choice (I love Lankanto Monkfruit and I grind it to make it powdered. Swerve also works well)
      • 1-2 pinches of salt to taste

      Directions

      1

       Heat oven to 350.

      2

       Mix all dry ingredients.

      3

      Mix all wet ingredients.

      4

       Slowly mix the wet into the dry (I use a food processor for this…easy peasy!)

      5

      Form in a ball and roll to about 1/4 inch between 2 pieces of parchment paper.

      6

      Flatten small pieces with hand to make round cookies or use cookie cutters.

      7

      Bake at 350 for 7 minutes.

      8

      Cool completely before moving so they don’t crumble.

      9

      While cooling, mix frosting ingredients together. Spread on cookies and serve!

      10

      Enjoy as a Christmas cookie, or any time of year!

      Recipe Categories

      Recipe Database – 90 Day FF

      Recipe Database

      Gluten Free – Sugar Free – Grain Free – Soy Free

      Recipe Categories

      Main Courses

      You'll find recipes the Whole Family will Love from Chicken, Beef, Fish, and Turkey!!!

      Side Dishes

      Veggies that will spice up your tastebuds and the family will ask for seconds!

      Desserts

      Guiltless Treats for the sweet tooth that many of us have! These treats will let you enjoy the taste, but not have the crash!

      Facebook Pinterest Instagram
      Posted on

      Beef and Brussels Sprouts

      Beef and Brussels Sprouts

      Try this- the apple adds a sweet-tart taste to this healthy meal!

      • Serving Size4

        Ingredients

        • 1 tbsp. avocado oil
        • 1 lb. grass-fed ground beef (mine was 85% lean)
        • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
        • 1 9-oz. package of shredded Brussels sprouts (or shred about 3½ cups of whole sprouts)
        • 1 organic apple, peeled
        • 2 tbsp lemon juice
        • Sea salt
        • Pepper

        Directions

        1

        Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat.

        2

        Add the onion and saute until it starts to caramelize, about 4 to 5 minutes.

        3

        Add ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks for about 4-5 minutes.

        4

        Add the brussels sprouts and continue cooking until the beef is cooked through.

        5

        Add the chopped apple to pan and saute for 2-3 minutes, and then stir in the lemon juice

        6

        Cook for another minute or so before seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

        Recipe Categories
        Posted on

        Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie

        Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie

         

        I’m a tradition girl, which means when it comes to Thanksgiving, I love new and different additions, but there are staples I can’t be without. Pumpkin pie is one of them! But forgoing the bloat, fatigue, and post-meal crash is super important and absolutely do-able. Can you imagine Thanksgiving dinner without a 2-hour nap? It’s a thing! Because it’s not the turkey that makes you so sleepy, as we’ve all been told, it’s the sugar. Easy fix! I made some mild modifications to the original recipe by Able James. Get the original here.

          Ingredients

          Ingredients for Crust:

          • 1 cup almond flour
          • 1/2 cup coconut flour
          • 1 T maple syrup
          • 6 T organic unrefined coconut oil or grass-fed butter
          • 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
          • 1 cup full fat organic coconut milk
          • 1 tsp salt
          • 1.5 T Maple syrup
          • 1/8 tsp SweetLeaf liquid stevia

          Ingredients for Filling:

          • 1 can organic pumpkin
          • Cream ONLY from the top of two refrigerated cans of full fat organic coconut milk (save the rest for a smoothie)
          • 6 Medjool dates (pits removed
          • 4 T coconut oil or grass-fed butter
          • 1 tsp vanilla extract
          • 1/4 tsp salt
          • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
          • 1/2 tsp ginger
          • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
          • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
          • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
          • 1/4 tsp SweatLeaf liquid stevia
          • 1 T maple syrup
          • 1 egg
          • 2 egg yolks

          Directions

          Crust:

          1

          Preheat the oven to 425℉. Grease a pie pan with butter or coconut oil

          2

           In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, almond flour, flaxseed meal, and salt.

          3

           Add the melted coconut oil, coconut milk, and maple syrup. Mix until well combined.

          4

          Press the dough into the greased pie pan and freeze the pie shell while you make the filling.

          Filling

          5

           In a blender, blend the pumpkin puree, stevia, dates, milk, coconut oil, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt until the dates are broken up and well-incorporated.

          6

           Add the egg and egg yolks and blend until combined. Taste (if you’re ok with a bit of raw egg), and add a bit more stevia, ginger, nutmeg, or salt, to taste.

          7

           Pour the filling into the pie shell, and line the rim of the pie pan with foil to cover the crust edges (so they don’t burn). Bake for 15 minutes.

          8

           Reduce the oven temperature to 350℉. Bake until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.

          9

          Remove from the oven and cool 2 hours. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

          Recipe Categories
          Posted on

          Creamy Cauliflower Chowder Soup

          Creamy Cauliflower Chowder Soup

           

          Have you ever had a craving for a creamy soup but didn’t want the cream? Well here you go! This recipe is both hearty and creamy with flavor exploding from all sides! Makes a great snack or pairs nicely with a main dish; think pastured porkchops or even beef stew! Yuuuup, I just recommended 2 soups in one meal! Livin’ on the edge!

          Credit goes to Paleoleap. I just made a couple of minor adjustments.

            Ingredients

            • 1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
            • 2 garlic cloves, minced
            • 3/4 onion, diced
            • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
            • 2 celery stalks, diced
            • 4 cups chicken stock (or bone broth)
            • 1 cup coconut milk
            • 1¼ tsp. ground cumin
            • 1 tsp. ground turmeric
            • ½ tsp. ground coriander
            • fresh dill, to taste; (optional)
            • 4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
            • 1.5 T Grass fed butter
            • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

            Directions

            1

            Melt some butter in a large saucepan placed over a medium heat.

            2

             Add the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender (about 5 minutes).

            3

             Stir in the cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.

            4

            Add in the chicken stock, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and coconut milk, and stir together.

            5

            Bring to a boil; then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

            6

            Season to taste and serve garnished with bacon and fresh dill to taste.

            Recipe Categories
            Posted on

            Butternut Squash Soup

            Butternut Squash Soup

             

            Butternut Squash, Sweet potatoes and pumpkin just scream FALL! I love love love soup when the weather begins to cool down. I’m in Louisiana, so cool to us is around 65. That’s when we bust out our pocket warmers, mittens and hoodies. And soup. This soup is sooooo easy to freeze! It always makes more than we can eat immediately so we can enjoy it all week, or freeze and eat over the course of a month or two here and there!

              Ingredients

              • 2 tablespoons almond or coconut oil
              • 1 medium onion, diced
              • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 2-inch cubes
              • 6 cups water, chicken stock or bone broth

              Directions

              1

              In a large soup pot, warm oil over medium heat.

              2

              Caramelize onion, sauteing 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

              3

               Cook butternut squash by cutting lengthwise and putting flesh side up in a pan. Bake at 400 for 50-60 minutes. Scoop out seeds (save and roast!) and spoon out squash.

              4

              Add squash and cook for 10 minutes, until squash is barely soft.

              5

              Pour water or stock over squash mixture.

              6

              Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

              7

              In high-powered blender, puree in small batches on low, working up to high speed until mixture is smooth.

              8

               Serve or store in freezer in mason jars (allow room at the top for expansion).

              *Recipe adapted from Elanaspantry

              Recipe Categories
              Posted on

              Maple Bacon Almond Butter Truffles

              Maple Bacon Almond Butter Truffles

               

              I had the honor of hosting a REFIT® training event in February and I decided to provide some snacks that would keep everyone feeling energized throughout the day. I’ve never cooked for 75 people before, but it was a ton of fun to make and then get to hear how good everything tasted (breathes sigh of relief)! And these were the Belle of the Ball, so to speak!

              Of course, I have to caveat this by saying that even snacks that aren’t processed and loaded in gluten and sugar cannot be indulged in too often or too much at a time. Even the healthiest desserts will create an unwanted gain, so the key is to enjoy a moderate amount occasionally, not daily. Ok, with that aside, let’s get to the good stuff!

              The only variation I made to this recipe is changing the nut butter to almond butter, but original credit goes to realhealthyrecipes.

                Ingredients

                • 4 strips Nitrate free bacons
                • 2 tablespoons pure sugar-free maple syrup, divided
                • ½ cup creamy, no-sugar added almond butter
                • ⅔ cup coconut palm sugar
                • 1 cup coconut cream
                • ½ cup coconut flour
                • ½ teaspoon sea salt
                • 1½ cups Lily’s chocolate chips (stevia sweetened)
                • 1 tablespoon coconut oil

                Directions

                1

                Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a metal cooling rack on it.

                2

                 Brush the bacon strips with 1 Tablespoon of maple syrup and arrange on the wire rack on the prepared pan. Bake for 8-12 minutes, until crispy and caramelized.

                3

                Mince the bacon once it has cooled. Set aside a Tablespoon of the minced bacon to use as garnish.

                4

                 In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the almond butter and coconut palm sugar until light and fluffy. Add the coconut cream and beat until fully combined. Add the coconut flour and salt, mixing on low until combined. Stir in the bacon.

                5

                 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop up 40 small round balls of the dough and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Place in the freezer as you prepare the chocolate.

                6

                 Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a double boiler. Dip the almond butter balls in the chocolate one by one, removing excess chocolate before setting the truffles back down on the parchment paper. Immediately garnish each truffle with a pinch of minced candied bacon before moving on to dip the next truffle.

                7

                Once all of the truffles are complete, chill for at least 10 minutes before serving. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for up to a month. Enjoy!

                *Photo credited to Jo and Sue blogspot

                 

                Recipe Categories
                Posted on

                Perfect Paleo Banana Bread

                Paleo Banana Bread

                 

                I think Fall is the perfect time for banana bread. But then again, so is Winter, Spring, and Summer…sooooo. This is one of my favorite things to cook for company, especially to pair with coffee when I’m just craving some girl time with my besties! It’s been made many times over by my clients with great success so don’t let all the ingredients fool you, it’s pretty much foolproof!

                Recipe has been adapted by Peanutbutterrunner.  So good, not many changes were necessary!

                  Ingredients

                  • 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
                  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
                  • 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
                  • 5 teaspoons cinnamon
                  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
                  • 3/4 cup of almond flour
                  • 1/4 cup of coconut flour
                  • 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil or butter
                  • 2 large eggs
                  • 2 very ripe medium to large bananas, mashed
                  • 1/4 cup of maple syrup
                  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

                  Directions

                  1

                  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9 x 5 loaf pan by either oiling the dish or lining with parchment paper. (I’m a big fan of the parchment paper for easy removal from pan and easy clean up.)

                  2

                  In a medium bowl, whisk together baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and flours. In a separate small bowl, mix together coconut oil, eggs, bananas, maple syrup and vanilla until very well combined.

                  3

                   Add wet ingredients to the dry and gently mix together until combined. Do not overmix.

                  4

                  Pour batter in prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until set in the center and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 15-20 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

                  5

                  If cooking muffins reduce time to 18-22 minutes.

                   

                  Recipe Categories
                  Posted on

                  Lemony Haddock with Olives & Tomatoes

                  Lemony Haddock with Olives & Tomatoes

                  Simple, delicious and quick – this recipe is great for a fast weeknight meal but it’s also tasty enough to serve guests.
                  Little known tip, straight from the fishmonger: frozen-at-sea haddock often is fresher than other varieties since it’s frozen as soon as it is caught … and it’s often less expensive.

                  • Serving Size3-4

                    Ingredients

                    • 1 lb haddock fillets
                    • 2 tbsp avocado oil
                    • Juice of 1 lemon
                    • 1 tbsp lemon zest
                    • 1 clove minced garlic
                    • Dash of Sea salt
                    • 1 cup green olives (avoid jarred olives if possible)
                    • 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and quartered

                    Directions

                    1

                    Preheat oven to 375 F.

                    2

                    Pat the haddock dry and place in a baking dish that’s been prepared with a light coat of oil.

                    3

                    In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic and sea salt. Drizzle over the fish.

                    4

                    Arrange tomato and olives around the fish. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Check fish for doneness – it should easily flake.

                    Recipe Categories