Super Food Kale Salad

This salad was amazing!  The dressing was delicious.  For those of you who think that a main meal needs meat or if you think that you can't get full from a salad, this salad will show you otherwise.  You can make this salad for 2 as a main meal or you can make it for 4-6 as a side dish.  I started adding cabbage to salads because Atzin really likes the crunchiness of cabbage in his salads.  Cabbage is also a great anti-inflammatory, has protective properties against dementia, has cancer preventative compounds, etc. etc.

I used this salad as a main meal for us yesterday for lunch.  It was also great pre workout.

Ingredients:

6 cups chopped kale
2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
1/2 dried non-sweetened cherries (or other types of berries like blue, cran, or goji)
1/4 raw pumpkin seeds
2 TBS hemp seeds
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 apple cider vinegar
2 TBS maple syrup
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
sea salt and pepper to taste.

1.  In a large bowl combine kale, cabbage, cherries, and seeds.
2. In a smaller bowl, make the dressing with the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, and spices.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad and add the sea salt and pepper to taste.

Easy Tandoori Chicken

This was soooo easy - so easy that  I almost feel guilty actually calling it Tandoori chicken.  I'm not using a tandoori oven, didn't put together my own blend of tandoori spices, and these are skinless chicken breasts! Nevertheless, Atzin loved these.

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken breasts
sea salt
pepper
1 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 TBS tandoori seasoning (I used the one they have at Whole Foods --- but I'm thinking about making my own blend because it was not spicy enough for me - but I wanted something easy and didn't want all those added ingredients in tandoori seasoning you might get some place else).
Juice from 1 lime

1.  Mix the tandoori seasoning, coconut milk, and lime juice.
2.  Salt and pepper the chicken breasts.
3. Add the marinade and let it marinade for about 8 hours in the fridge.  I prepared this the evening before, then had it ready to go in the fridge for the next day's dinner.
4. Grease the wire oven rack and place chicken breasts on the rack. Bake the chicken for abut 40 minutes, turning it over half way through.

Broccoli Sausage Bake

I love any type of breakfast/brunch "bake," pie, frittata, or quiche type thing.  Why? Because these make great left-overs.  This is the type of thing that I put in Atzin's lunch.  It's great eaten cold, if you don't have access to a microwave or a way to heat it.  You can get creative, adding the veggies you want to add (I had to hold back from adding kale or other greens to this because I add kale to almost everything!  Atzin has even said, "mom, what's with you and the kale?") and also the type of pan you want -- for example, I tend to make this type of thing in muffin tins, particularly if it is something I'm going to pack for lunch.  This is also a great pre and post workout type of meal, with the carbs from the butternut squash and the protein sources.  Plus, yes it has green veggies -- the broccoli!

You will see here that my second obsession lately, in addition to the leeks, is using all types of squash, partly because they are dense sources of carbs in a Paleo diet and good for Atzin's and my workout.  In addition to the "good carbs" butternut squash is a good source of vitamin A and vitamin C.

So here is the recipe.....

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash (about 1 lb), peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch chunks.
(I use the pre-cut that I buy at Coscto - 2 lbs in a container because I had peeling and seeding hard squash.  If you do cut it yourself, I recommend microwaving it for about 2-3 minutes so it's a bit softer.  Cut the ends off, then use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin off.  Then, but into chunks.)
1 TBS olive oil or coconut oil
sea salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 lb turkey or chicken sausage
1 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
11 large eggs
2 TBS almond milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Toss the squash with your preferred oil and season with salt and pepper.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes.
3. In a large skillet, cook the sausage, crumbling it up, add the onion, and then the broccoli.
4. Spray or oil the bottom of the pan you are going to use for baking and arrange the roasted squash in the bottom.  I used an 8 x 11 baking pan.
5.  Add the sausage and broccoli mixture and even spread in the pan.
6. Whisk the eggs in a bowl with the almond milk.  Pour it over the squash, broccoli, sausage mixture in the baking pan, also evenly spreading it.  Add more salt and pepper to taste. ( I also added about 1/2 tsp of New Mexico green chile powder because I add that to almost everything when I have it!)
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

We had this for another "brunch" - late breakfast with a side of blackberries in a small bowl.

Sweet Potato Pecan Muffins

Ahhh.  I am about to sit down for a muffin and some freshly brewed tea.  This muffin recipe was a very successful experiment on Christmas day.  I am posting this before I forget the recipe.  These were inspired by the common sweet potato pies and such that are made during the holiday season.  It was also inspired by the ingredients I had available to me between the ingredients I took to my sister's house and what she had available at her place.

So here it is!

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato (a regular sized one, not one of those giant ones).
1/4 cup of full fat coconut milk
1 banana
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1 TBS vanilla
8 drops of vanilla stevia
1 TBS raw organic honey
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup almond flour
2 TBS coconut flour
1/2 cup chopped raw pecans

Instructions:
1. Bake the sweet potato (it takes about an hour-  you can cheat and microwave, but I prefer baking even if it takes long).
2. Mash the sweet potato.
3.  Add the coconut milk, mashed banana, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, stevia, honey, salt, baking soda, and eggs.  Use an immersion blender to get a fluffy and really smooth mix.
4.  Add the coconut oil, almond flour, and coconut flour and mix.
5. Place in muffin cups or tins and bake for about 20 minutes.

Mango Cilantro Chicken

Hi!  I just wanted to share another tip to lessen the amount of cooking ad prepping during the week.  I love Mexican type flavors and try to add them to a lot of things - in this case the mango cilantro reminds me of a good salsa.

So, whenever I make a marinade, I double the recipe, use the fresh marinade for that day's cooking.  I put the other half in a ball jar, freeze it, and I have a ready made marinade for another dinner.

Ingredients for the marinade:
1 cup of mango cubed (I use the frozen mango because I don't want to take the time to cut up a fresh mango - but you can certainly do that - it would about 1 mango).
1/2 cup cilantro
1 shallot
tsp ginger
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
1 TBS lime juice
2 TBS olive oil
1/2 tsp of hot sauce (in this one I used a salsa using chile piquin) - but use a pre-purchased hot sauce or make your own with the chiles you like).
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:
1. Place ingredients in food processor. Pulse.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Place the chicken with 1/2 the sauce in a freezer bag or a bowl and let it marinade.
4. When ready to cook, place in a baking dish and bake the chicken for about 30-35 minutes
5. Heat the remaining sauce when ready to serve and spoon over the chicken and serve.

Leek and Broccoli Soup

I have recently discovered Leeks.  I had never cooked with them before, but now I'm obsessed using them in almost every soup I make.  This week I bought 7 leeks to use in different meals.  This picture is of the broccoli soup I made yesterday.  I wanted to show you the ball jar because I filled about 5 of these jars with soup and they are going to go into the freezer to use as single servings, maybe for Atzin's lunch, or for us to have with another meal when I'm too busy to prepare something.  I have been using ball jars a lot lately for storing and freezing food - trying to use more glass and less plastic.  So, just another tip so you see that I am not cooking all the time.  This week in fact, was the first week I had to cook again.  Last week, I used a variation of leftovers every day and only had to make breakfast.

So anyway, here is the recipe....

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of broccoli
3-4 leeks (I used 3 this time around because they seemed really large - the last time, I used 4 because they were much smaller leeks).
1 medium onion
3 medium shallots
1/2 medium apple (I used fuji)
2 TBS coconut oil
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 TBS curry powder
1/2 tsp New Mexico green chili powder (optional - but I recently was re-supplied and put it in everything I can!)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1 can coconut milk (I used the lite version this time around, but you can certainly use full fat if you want).

Directions:
1.  Prepare veggies: Chop broccoli, onions, leeks, and apple.  Thinly slice leeks.
2. Melt the coconut oil in a large stock pot you will use for the soup.
3. Add leeks, onion, shallots and curry powder and chili.  Sauté until softened.
4.  Throw in broccoli and apple.
5.  Add chicken broth and coconut milk, top off with more broth or water until vegetables are fully covered in liquid
6. Bring the soup to a boil
7.  Add more curry powder if you want it spicier, add salt and pepper to taste. (I probably added about 1/2 tsp more curry powder and about 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper).
8. Use your immersion blender once the broccoli is softened.
9. Serve!

Leticia's Machacado con Huevo

So, traditionally Machacado con Huevo is fairly simple, made with only the eggs and the carne seca. The carne seca already is salted, so you don't have to add any salt.   I always like to add color and more flavor so, I do add tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeño peppers. Of course, I also use coconut oil instead of the typical canola or corn oil.  It's funny how this has appeared lately on Paleo websites, but heck, my family has been eating Machacado con Huevo for generations! (Except of course, my family eats it with tortillas de harina).

This type of carne seca is dry and shredded - much softer than typical beef jerky and not as moist as the machaca de comes from el D.F.  This truly is a cuisine of El Norte--- the woman that is credited for inventing machacado was a woman named Tía Chencha (or Lencha, not sure which) from Cienega de Flores, Nuevo Leon.  I don't know how true this is, but that's how the story goes.  Maybe my family from Nuevo Leon can weigh in on this and tell me what they know to be the history of machacado con huevo.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1 cup carne seca
5 eggs
1/4 cup cilantro
1 small tomato
1 small jalapeño (I keep the seeds, but you can de-seed if you don't want it to be that hot).
1 TBS coconut oil

Directions:
Heat the oil in a skillet, add the cilantro, tomato, and jalapeño
Add the carne seca (it will seem like it will absorb all the oil, that's why the oil should be hot before you add and also don't worry, it will be fine once you add the eggs).
Add the eggs and mix like scrambled eggs.

Mexicanified Kale

Kale is considered a superfood because it is so nutrient packed!

The Benefits of Kale

At just 33 calories, one cup of raw kale has:

• Nearly 3 grams of protein
• 2.5 grams of fiber (which helps manage blood sugar and makes you feel full)
• Vitamins A, C, and K
• Folate, a B vitamin that’s key for brain development
• Alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. (While kale has far less omega-3 than fish, it is another way to get some of this healthy fat into your diet. 
• Lutein and zeaxanthin, nutrients that give kale its deep, dark green coloring and protect against macular degeneration and cataracts.  
• Kale contains minerals including phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and zinc. 

I love Kale, and because we don't use a lot of dairy, I try to make sure we have our greens every day for the calcium.  So, this morning for brunch (Atzin woke up late and I was out running errands early this morning so breakfast was late), we had my "paleoified" machacado con huevos and the Mexicanified kale.  I like everything spicy, so this was hot to the taste.  Obviously, if you don't like chile, you would reduce the spicing.  You can sauté Kale any way you want - even as basic as garlic, salt, and pepper.  It's a quick and delicious side or meal. I did measure my spices for you!

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale (chopped) or bag from TJ's already chopped.
1 onion (diced)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 small jalapeño (minced - deseeded if you don't want it to be that hot - I use the seeds because my boy likes it really spicy and for his taste, I never make it hot enough).
1/4 cup cilantro (minced)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp New Mexico green chile powder (I used mild)
salt and pepper to taste
1 TBS Coconut oil (you can adjust this of course and add another TBS, but I try to be really cautious about the amount of fat, even if it's good fat that I use and try to get most of my good fats from foods that have naturally occurring fats like avocado or eggs rather than added fats).  Others may be able to be more generous with their serving of fat.  When I know I can splurge more, I add more good fat to my diet.

Directions
1. Prepare your ingredients that need mincing, chopping or dicing.
2. In a nonstick pan or a cast iron skillet, heat the oil.  Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, cumin, and chili powder.  Sauté a few minutes until onions are translucent.
3.  Add the kale (you may need to add it slowly if it doesn't fit at first depending on the size of your pan - adding more as what you have in the pan wilts -- I use the large skillet I purchased at Costco - it's a great size and all of the kale fits at once before wilted). Sauté until wilted.
4.  Salt and peper to taste.

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup

I have been making soups a lot lately.  I forgot how easy they are to make and how wonderful it is to have something warm like this on a cold day.  I have to admit, since I have been eating grain free, I am still a bit confused about what to do about dense carbs.  So what I have been reading suggests that regulation of blood sugar or reducing inflammation by eating "good" carbs is appropriate depending on your level of activity.  On a grain free diet, there are still dense sources of carbohydrates that can be a part of your diet.  Here are some of those carbs: Cassava, Taro, Plantain, Yams, Sweet Potatoes, Parsnips, Lotus Roots, Winter Squash, Onions, Beets, Carrots, Butternut Squash, Rutabaga, Jicama, Kohlrabi, Spaghetti Squash, and Turnips.  Wow!  Who would have thought that list would be so long!   And this does not even include the list of fruits and nuts that are also high in carbohydrates.  If you are moderately active, you can eat about 75 to 150 mgs. of carbs a day.

So in the spirit being more conscious about my foods in general and thinking about what kinds of dense carbs I can eat given my activity level and the activity level of my family, I have been incorporating more of these foods in our diet.

I also want to give you a caveat, that I often don't share recipes because I don't measure things.  I throw a little bit of this spice and that spice in there and then I end up with this wonderful meal I want to share, but can't tell people exactly how to reproduce it.  So I'm going to be more mindful about measuring so I can share with others exactly what I did.  In this case, I tried to be fairly aware of what I did so that I can share it with you!

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato
1 medium sized butternut squash
2-3 cups of chicken broth
1 can of coconut milk
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Avocado for the top as a garnish

Directions:

1.  Poke holes in the sweet potato and bake it for about 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees
2.  Cut the butternut squash in half and place it with the open side down in a baking dish with some water in the bottom.  About 1/2 and inch.  Bake it for about 45 minutes.
3.  When the sweet potato and butternut squash are ready and have cooled, 1) peel the skin off the sweet potato and place it in your vitamix or other high power blender.  2) Scoop the seeds out of the squash and discard, then scoop the "meat" out of the squash (As much as fits in your vitamix.  You might have to do some of it, then take some out, and then add the rest) and place it in your vitamix or blender as well. In my case, I was able to place the sweet potato and half of the squash.
4.  Place the first cup of chicken broth in the vitamix (and add more if needed for the blender to run).
5.  Add the chipotle chiles, coconut milk, spices and blend.
6.  Remove some from the blender and add the remaining squash and remaining chicken broth.  (You decide how thick you want it so you can do 2-3 depending).
7.  Transfer it to a pot and heat up.

I know if I wanted to professionalize this whole thing, I would make the recipe over and over again and have people try it before I posted --- So, I would love to know how it worked and what you did differently if you tried it.  Thanks!

Just switch the chicken broth for vegetable broth if you want a vegan option!