Healing Cuisine Chili

This chili was a great addition to the party spread.  There were many complements on it, and I loved having this super-easy-to-prepare dish that filled people up!  Let's face it, good grass fed meat is expensive.   Lessen the cost by throwing in beans for protein and using less meat.

Healing Cuisine Chili
Serves 6  (Multiplied by 8 for the party.  *TIP* Use a super large ceramic crock pot or electric roaster and simmer for 6-8 hours.)

1 1/2 lbs organic grass fed ground beef or turkey
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 c onion, chopped
1/2 c celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 c green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c red bell pepper, chopped
16 oz black beans, rinsed (I also use kidney beans sometimes)
16 oz organic crushed tomatoes (from a glass jar is best)
16 oz organic salsa (you pick your heat preference, I use Medium)
1 Tbsp Bragg apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp chili powder (more/less to taste)
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 tsp sea salt
A few cracks of black pepper

1.)  Heat large skillet over Medium heat.  Add ground meat and heat until cooked thru (no pink), stirring often to break up large chunks.  Drain meat and transfer to large sauce pan and set aside (no heat for now).

2.)  In same skillet, heat coconut oil over Medium heat.  Add veggies and saute until translucent and aromatic.  Transfer to large sauce pan with the meat and heat over Medium-High heat.

3.)  Add beans, salsa, cider vinegar and spices to pot, stir well to combine.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to Low. Simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.   Serve with a spoonful of organic plain Greek yogurt or Fage (optional).

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Makes About 6 Servings (multiplied by 5 for the party)

12 oz organic sodium free garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 organic red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded
1 Tbsp chopped red onion

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp tahini

Juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp sea salt (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  You may have to stop to scrape down the ingredients a few times.  Serve immediately with fresh veggies or on a salad.  Store the rest covered, in the refrigerator for a few days.

Sparkling Punch

Sparkling Punch
Makes 1 large punchbowl full

2 liters unsweetened organic apple cider
2 liters carbonated water
2 large oranges
2 lemons
6 oz fresh lemon juice
1 c xylitol or 2 1/2 tsp liquid stevia
2 trays ice cubes

Thinly slice the lemons and the oranges and place in a large punch bowl.  Pour in the lemon juice, seltzer water and apple cider. Add natural sweetener to taste.  Lightly stir to combine.  Add ice last and serve.

Tex-Mex Summer Squash Bake

A great use for the abundant summer squash!

Tex-Mex Summer Squash Bake

Makes 8 Servings (I multiplied by 6 for the party.  It was a hit!)

1 pound ground beef
1/4 c coconut oil, divided
3 organic medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 organic medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 organic red bell pepper, chopped
1 organic jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 organic green onions, chopped -- white and green ends separated
Sea salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp organic tomato paste (from a glass jar, not a can -- BPA plastic)
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
4 c black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c raw Parmesan cheese, grated and divided
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro (from the herb garden!)

1.)  Cook the ground beef in a stainless steel or cast iron skillet over Medium heat until brown, about 10 minutes.  Drain off excess grease.  Set aside.

2.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spread the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with about 2 teaspoons of coconut oil.

3.)  Pour the remaining coconut oil into a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over Medium-High heat.  Cook and stir the zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and the white parts of the green onions until the vegetables begin to soften, 5-8 minutes.  Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.  Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin.  Allow the mixture to simmer until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat.

4.)  Stir in the browned ground beef, black beans and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese until well combined. Adjust salt and pepper if necessary, and spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle the top with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.

5.)  Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling in the center and cheese is browned, 20 to 25 minutes.  Sprinkle the remaining green onions (green tops) and cilantro over the top and serve.

Classic Egg Salad

Classic Egg Salad
Makes 4 Servings (I used 5 dozen eggs, multiplied the rest of the recipe by 10 for 100 ppl)

6 free range eggs, hard-cooked and diced
1/4 cup Healing Cuisine Mayonnaise
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp minced onion (I used white and red for a mix of tastes)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
Lettuce leaves (optional)
Paprika (optional)

1.) Reserve 4 center egg slices for garnish, if desired.  In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except lettuce and stir well to combine.  Refrigerate over night to blend flavors and soften onions/celery.

2.) Serve as is or over lettuce leaves; garnish with reserved egg slices and a sprinkle of paprika.

Asian Almond Chicken Salad

Here it is, the much praised Asian Almond Chicken Salad!  Oh, so good! 

Asian Almond Chicken Salad
Serves 10 (I quadrupled this recipe for the party of 100)

4 organic green onions, thinly sliced
1 large organic carrot, shredded (omit if Advanced Plan)
1 organic red bell pepper, chopped
1 organic orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 pound organic sugar snap peas, halved
2 c chopped shredded free range chicken (I roasted a small chicken and picked it clean)
1/2 c fresh organic cilantro leaves
1/2 c raw almonds, slivered or chopped
2 Tbsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce (recipe below)
1 Tbsp dry mustard powder
Red pepper flakes (optional)

1.)  In a large bowl, mix together the onions, carrot, bell peppers, peas, chicken, cilantro and almonds. Set aside.

2.)   In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sesame oil, teriyaki sauce and dry mustard until smooth.

3.)Pour over salad mixture and toss until well coated.  Cover and let sit in refrigerator 2 hours before serving or overnight.  Serve as is or on a bed of lettuce.


Teriyaki Sauce
Makes About 1 1/4 Cups

1 c Bragg's Liquid Aminos
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1-2 Tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
1/3 c raw honey OR 1/3 c xylitol  (I've tried both, with honey is better consistency, but tastes great both ways)

1.)  Put all ingredients into blender and blend on High until smooth.  Taste and adjust to your liking (can add cayenne pepper, onion, or more ginger/garlic to your preference).  Store in a glass jar in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.  Great with chicken vegetable stir fries!

Healing Cuisine BBQ Meatballs

Healing Cuisine BBQ Meatballs
Makes About 8 Servings  (I multiplied this recipe by 8, there weren't quite enough meatballs for everyone, for 100ppl)

2 pounds grass fed ground beef
1 free range organic egg
1 yellow onion, minced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch sea salt
A few cracks of fresh pepper
1/3 cup finely ground almonds (optional)
2 1/2 cup Healing Cuisine Barbecue Sauce

1.  In a large bowl, combine beef, egg, onion, garlic, optional almonds, salt and pepper.  Mix together with your fingers. Shape into balls of uniform size (I usually do bite size for parties so easier to eat).

2. In a large skillet, heat a Tablespoon or two of coconut oil over Medium heat.  Add half of meatballs to pan (don't overcrowd!!) and brown on all sides.  Transport meatballs to a 6 quart pot over Medium-Low heat.  In skillet, brown remaining meatballs and transfer to 6 quart pot.

3.)  Pour Healing Cuisine Barbecue Sauce over top and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until cooked thru.

SLOW COOKER OPTION:  Disclaimer: Be sure you are using a Ceramic or Stainless Steel slow cooker -- other "standard" slow cookers are coated with "non-stick" chemicals that are pumped into your food as the dish heats up and simmers.  In a slow cooker combine the Healing Cuisine Barbecue Sauce with the raw meatballs and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.  Can't get any easier!!

Cucumber Salad

Cucumber Salad
Makes 4 servings (I multiplied this recipe 10 times for the party)

2 organic English cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/2 organic red onion, thinly sliced
1 large organic tomato, halved and sliced (optional)
1 Tbsp fresh chopped dill
3 Tbsp Healing Cuisine Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper

In a medium bowl, toss together the cucumbers, red onion, dill and tomato.  Gently stir in the mayo, vinegar, salt and pepper until coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving or overnight.

Graduation Party Spread

On July 31st I threw the love of my life a surprise graduation party!  Here he is walking in to the room full of about 100.  It was a hit, he was 100% clueless, shocked and amazed!  It was 4 months of planning and help from friends and family all over the U.S. that made it happen.  My promise to our guests was a full spread of Healing Cuisine recipes, ML Core Nutrition Plan approved!

Here is the menu.  If I haven't posted a recipe in the past, I'll be doing so in the next week!  Recipes previously posted are linked below.  All of these are great for graduation parties, weddings, family reunions, birthdays, etc.  Do YOU have any great party recipes you'd like to share?  Email me!


Appetizers
Raw mixed nuts
Fresh veggies with roasted red pepper hummus
Flaxseed pita chips with fresh salsa
Baked brie with sliced Granny Smith apples
Fresh fruit bowl (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and pineapple)
Platter of red grapes with sliced raw cheese
Whole grain flaxseed granola bars

Salads
Broccoli Cabbage Slaw
Egg Salad
Cucumber Salad
Asian Chicken Almond Salad (a HUGE hit at the party!)
Healing Chicken Salad

Main Dishes
Roasted, sliced chicken and turkey lettuce wraps
Lasagna
Healing Cuisine BBQ meatballs
Healing Cuisine Chili
Tex-Mex Squash Bake

Drinks
Mini-bottled waters
Sparkling punch
Organic gluten-free beer, hard cider and wine
Organic coffee

Double Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheesecake

In honor of my lovely friend Suzy's birthday last week, I made her a Double Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheesecake.  Suzy can't do dairy, so it was the perfect opportunity to attempt choclafying my Strawberry Cream Pie.  What a success!  I had two perfectly ripe avocados chilling in the fridge and a pint of raspberries next to them.  The inspiration was born for a raspberry cream layer!  I think the next time around it would be better as the top layer?  But either way, this no-cheese-cake is a WINNER!

Organic Double Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheesecake
Makes 8 Servings

The Crust:
1 1/2 cup raw almonds
1/3 cup 73+% chocolate chips
Pinch or two of sea salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 Tbsp gluten free and/or raw cocoa powder
1-2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup dried cherries or raisins, soaked for 2 minutes (if Advanced Plan, omit and add 2 more Tbsp coconut oil)
2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes

The Raspberry Cream Layer:
2 ripe avocados
1 pint fresh raspberries, rinsed and shaken dry
2 Tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice
1 tsp stevia powder

The Chocolate Filling:
3 cups cashews, soaked 1-2 hours, drained
1 cup melted coconut oil
2 tsp natural raspberry extract (if you have it, or use vanilla)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup gluten free and/or raw cocoa powder
3 tsp stevia powder (more/less to taste)
3 Tbsp filtered water

1.) The Crust:  Grind the nuts, cacao nibs and salt in a food processor until coarse.  Add the remaining Crust ingredients and pulse to thoroughly combined.  Press firmly into the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch round spring form pan.  Place in the freezer while you make the fillings.

2.)  The Raspberry Cream Layer:  (you might like this layer better on the top, up to you!  I did it 2nd in the picture)  In blender, add the avocados, lemon juice, raspberries and stevia.  Blend until smooth.  Pour and spread over crust in spring form pan.  Back in the freezer it goes.

3.)  The Filling:  In your blender, blend all Filling ingredients until smooth and creamy.  This took me a couple minutes and I used a spatula thru the top hole in the lid while blending to stir the chunks down to the blades at the bottom.  You might need to stop and scrape down the sides a couple times.  Pour the filling into the spring form pan and smooth it out to a level finish.  It should be nice and thick.  Cover and put back in freezer to set, about 1-2 hours.  If longer than that, let it thaw for an our or so before cutting (makes it easier and for better presentation).

This no-cheese-cake will be a hit!  Decedent, rich, and HEALTHY! :)

Turkey Strawberry and Blackberry Salad with Fresh Peach Dressing

I got kind of fancy plating this for Dave's lunch last week, so we decided to take a picture and post it.  ALSO because of the dressing, it was SO FABULOUS!  Dave was on a No Fat week prepping for his gallbladder flush this past weekend.  So, that meant no oil in his dressing.  Well, I didn't want him to have to taste only vinegar, so I somehow got the idea to Magic Bullet half of a peach with some red wine vinegar.  Voila!  A masterpiece was born!  Try it and be pleasantly surprised.  I'm sure it would be even better with a little oil oil blended in!

Turkey Strawberry and Blackberry Salad with Fresh Peach Dressing
1 Serving

Toss together:
1/2 c shredded organic free-range turkey breast
1/3 c organic black beans, rinsed
4-6 organic strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced.
A handful of organic blackberries, rinsed
Two handfuls of fresh organic spring greens and spinach, rinsed and dried


Peach Dressing
1/2 of an organic peach, rinsed (I left the peel on)
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1/4 c olive oil (optional)

Blend until smooth then drizzle over salad.