Guest Post: Mango Mint Sorbet

Today's recipe comes from the kitchen of Dr. B.J. Hardick, co-author of the book Maximized Living Nutrition Plans.  This book outlines the foundation of the Core and Advanced Plans and is what inspired me to change my family's lifestyle, and eventually start Healing Cuisine to share with all of you.

Dr. B.J. needed some menu planning help.  He was throwing a Latin American themed dinner party for his friends.  He wanted the perfect dessert to compliment his other courses.  My mind immediately went to mangoes.  Mango sorbet is a traditional dessert for many of the countries in South America.  And, it's super easy to make at home!  We combined two recipes to create this new spin on mango sorbet, from Fine Cooking and Healing Cuisine.

He didn't know this picture was making it on the blog.... Thanks B.J.!    : )

Mango Mint Sorbet
Makes 8 Servings

8 cups organic mango, diced and frozen
1/2 cup full fat organic Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp fresh orange zest
1/2 cup fresh squeezed organic orange juice
2 tsp fresh mint, chopped

Put frozen fruit, yogurt, orange zest, orange juice, and mint into blender or food processor.  Puree until creamy, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed.  If frozen mangoes don't break down completely, gradually add water as needed through the feed tube while pureeing (a tablespoon or two at a time).  Serve immediately or freeze.  To serve later, allow 10-15 minutes for sorbet to soften at room temperature.

Kombucha Tea Flavorings Round 2

Looking back through my posts in the last few years, I see it's been a while since my last post about brewing kombucha.  Hard to believe!  Well I have about a year's worth of new flavor combinations to share with you.  But first, take a look back at our past discussions about brewing kombucha at home.  If you haven't started yet, believe me it's easy and takes very little effort!  The cost savings of home brewing and health benefits of consuming regularly are abundant!

Weird science project or tasty drink?: How to Brew Kombucha

Is My SCOBY Moldy?

Kombucha Tea Flavorings Round 1

Kombucha Smoothie 

Kombucha Mojito

I hope you like some of these new kombucha flavors.  These ingredients are added during the second fermentation period.  We love to try new combinations.  Exotic blends are at the bottom.  Always use organic ingredients, because chemicals and pesticides can harm the SCOBY and kill the natural yeast production.  Be sure to check out the original kombucha tea flavorings post from 2010 first to see if you want to try any if the classic flavors, too!


Kombucha Tea Flavorings Round 2

To 3 quarts of kombucha tea for the second fermentation period, add:

Watermelon-Lime Kombucha

Watermelon-Lime:  1/3 cup fresh squeezed watermelon juice  +  1/4 cup lime peel cut into strips

Pineapple:  1/4 cup fresh pineapple

Pineapple Pomegranate:  1/4 cup fresh pineapple  +  1/4 cup pomegranate juice

Apple Berry:  1/3 cup unsweetened organic apple juice  +  1/3 cup fresh mixed berries (or thawed frozen berries, or 1/4 cup unsweetened jam)

Cherry Vanilla: 1/4 cup dried cherries OR 1/3 cup pitted fresh cherries  +  2 tsp pure vanilla extract 

Pear-Almond:  1/4 cup fresh pear  +  2 tsp pure almond extract

Orange-Grapefruit: 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice  +  1/3 cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice   OR  1/4 cup orange peel  +  1/4 cup grapefruit peel 

Lemon-Blueberry:  1/4 cup lemon peel cut into strips  +  1/3 cup fresh blueberries (or frozen thawed blueberries, or 1/4 cup dried blueberries)

Peach:  1/3 cup fresh peaches (or thawed frozen peaches)

Strawberry-Mango: 1/4 cup fresh mango  (or frozen thawed mango)  +  1/3 cup fresh strawberries (or frozen thawed strawberries)

Kiwi:  1/3 cup fresh kiwi

Calm Blend:  1 tsp dried lavender flower  +  1 tsp dried chamomile flower

Chai Blend:  2 tsp of my favorite whole chai spice blend

Apple Pie Kombucha

Apple Pie Chai:  1/3 cup unsweetened apple juice  +  1 tsp chai spice blend  +  1 cinnamon stick

Apple Pie:  1/3 cup unsweetened apple juice  +  1 cinnamon stick

Pumpkin Pie:  1/3 cup pumpkin puree (optional)  +  4 whole cloves  +  2 cinnamon sticks  +  1/2 tsp ground nutmeg  +  3/4 tsp ground ginger  +  1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Malt:  1 heaping Tablespoon raw cacao powder  +  1 heaping Tablespoon maca powder

Continue with the second ferment for at least 2 days.  Sometimes we forget and let our bottles go about 7 days for the second ferment.  They still taste good, but start to get a bit vinegary tasting again.  I think 3-4 days is the sweet spot.  Then pop in the fridge overnight, strain and enjoy!

Don't be afraid to experiment!  And don't be afraid to pour a batch down the drain if it didn't come out how you wanted.  I've done that a few times myself.  You can always make more!  The fun is in the experimenting, creating, and enjoying.

If you have a favorite flavor, please share it in the comments section!  I'd love to hear from you!

Dark Chocolate Chip Orange Bread

We had some friends staying with us this weekend from Minneapolis area.  You know that if you're a guest at my house I am going to make you a healthy treat.  We all wanted something with a touch of chocolate.  Chocolate orange sounded pretty good on Saturday evening, so I made an almond flour loaf with orange zest and dark chocolate chips.  I wanted to make a coffee frosting for it using coconut butter, but to be honest it was so late when we finally ate the bread that I didn't feel like melting down the coconut butter and whipping it with coffee.  (I still think it would be an amazing pairing!)  Instead I opened a can of coconut milk and scooped out the fluffy white cream solids from the surface.  Save the separated oil in the fridge for a smoothie later.  To the coconut cream solids, stir in some stevia, cinnamon, and vanilla and you're good to go!  It makes a yummy sauce to drizzle over your slices of bread.  Eat them with a fork and a nice cup of tea!

Dark Chocolate Chip Orange Bread
Makes 2 Loaves

3 cups almond flour, sifted
3/4 cup coconut flour, sifted twice
1 1/4 cup 73+% dark chocolate chips
5 tsp spoonable Stevita stevia
4 tsp baking powder
2 cups pureed organic Granny Smith apple (OR two whole organic oranges, peels removed and pureed)
3/4 cup raw butter or coconut oil, melted
2 free range eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp fresh orange zest (zest of 2 oranges)

1.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease two standard loaf pans and line with unbleached parchment paper.  In a large bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, chocolate chips, stevia, and baking powder.

2.)  In separate bowl, mix together pureed apple, melted butter, eggs, and orange zest.

3.)  Add the wet ingredients into the dry and blend until just combined.

4.)  Spoon batter into greased loaf pans.  Bake 45 - 50 minutes, until knife inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes in pan before removing loaves to cool completely on wire rack.

How To: Blackberry / Raspberry Jam

I had to finish this natural pectin series with a classic jam recipe.  This is another Advanced Plan suitable jam, Blackberry Jam!  You can also switch out the blackberries equally with raspberries or blueberries.  Delicioso!

Blackberry Jam (or Raspberry, or Blueberry Jam)
Makes 4 half pint jars

3 lbs (10 cups) organic blackberries, washed and shaken dry
2 1/4 cups xylitol
Juice of 1 organic orange (rind reserved)

4-5 sanitized half pint jars and lids
1 muslin bag or tea ball

1.)  Mash the berries and decide if you want seeded or seedless jam.  If you prefer seedless, run the berries through a mesh strainer or sieve (You can also add some of the strained berry pulp back to the mix if you want a slightly seedy jam).  Combine the berries, xylitol and orange juice in a large non-reactive pot.  Chop the reserved orange find and put in a muslin bag / tea ball.  Place bag in pot, cover, and set on counter for 3-6 hours.

2.)  Place pot over High heat on stove and bring to a boil.  Skim off any foam along the way.  Stir constantly until jam reaches setting point, around 218 - 222 degrees F (use a candy thermometer).  Test the jam using the ice cube test (hold a spoonful of the jam over an ice cube for a minute or so and see how well it gels.  If it doesn't form a giggly skin, it needs to boil a few minutes longer.  Test again until gel point is reached).

3.)  Remove bag of orange rind and discard.  Ladle jam into jars leaving 1/4 inch room at top for air.  Push out air bubbles with a spatula.  Put lids on and place jars in pot of boiling water for 10 minutes.  Remove jars and set on counter to cool.  Check lids for proper seal after about 15 minutes before dumping out hot pot of water from the stove.

Traditional Strawberry Jam (Sugar-Free!)

I can't wait until my son is old enough that we can go strawberry picking together.  He's not quite there for this season's round, but I'm hoping next year he'll be able to enjoy it.  I also can't wait until he's a little older so I can teach him how to make this classic strawberry jam!  It's a favorite of ours.  I usually double this batch (if we have enough berries for it) and keep a few jars for the freezer since we use the jam so frequently.  The rest of the jars are boiled and sealed for the pantry.

I actually use this jam mostly for flavoring other recipes throughout the rest of the year when strawberries are called for.  Sometimes it's a few spoonfuls in smoothies or baked goods, but I think the recipe I make the most using this strawberry jam is a strawberry vinaigrette for our salads.  Year round, it's an easy way to get a little taste of summer on your plate!

This recipe is part of the pectin discussion we started on Tuesday.  I'm sharing my four favorite jam recipes with you that don't require added commercial pectin.  This recipe (and yesterday's Sour Cherry Jam) is sugar-free, commercial pectin-free, and Advanced Plan friendly!

Strawberry Jam
Makes 5 half pint jars

6 cups chopped organic strawberries, ripe (can be fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup chopped organic strawberries, unripe
2 cups xylitol (I use powdered to make sure it dissolves)
Juice from 1 organic orange, saving the peel and rind

Large tea strainer or muslin bag
5-6 sanitized half pint jars and lids

1.) Put the chopped strawberries, xylitol and orange juice in a large stock pot.  Chop the orange rinds and peels finely.  Place into the tea ball or muslin bag and add it to the stock pot.  Bring to a boil over High heat, stirring constantly.  Strawberries tend to foam, just skim off any foam and discard as it boils. 

2.)  Reduce heat to Medium-High and continue to boil until the jam sets.  When the jam reaches a temperature of 218 - 222 degrees F, do the ice cube test to see if it sets as you wish.  (take a small spoonful of jam and hold it over an ice cube for a minute or so.)  If the jam on the spoon has formed a skin that wrinkles when you push it, the jam is set.  Use a candy thermometer to monitor the jam temperature.

3.) Ladle the hot jam into jars leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top of the jar for air (push out air bubbles using a spatula).  Screw on the lids and process jars in boiling water for 10 minutes.  Remove jars from counter, set on counter to cool, and check after 15 minutes to make sure they all sealed properly.

Light and Fresh Spring Elixir

Hope you all had a great weekend!  We still have no Internet connection at home, and with the blazing temperatures outside I just can't bring myself to venture out to the free wifi at the pool.  Baby wouldn't like that much, and neither would this mama!  So, sorry for the sporadic posting lately and to come!  Blogging has been taking a hit, but recipe creation has not!  Just need to find time to get some of my tasty new creations posted for you to enjoy!

We're also heading home to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan later this week.  We've been storing almost all of our belongings at my mom's house for the past year while we've been on this "chiropractic journey" as we call it.  In the last year we've lived in 8 different places while training at various clinics around the US and Canada.  It's kind of surreal looking back to think about all the places we've been in such a short time and that we've been living out of a suitcase for that long.  I'll be the first to tell you I am SO EXCITED TO GET OUR STUFF BACK!! :)  We've been using one skillet, one medium sauce pan, 2 bowls and 2 plates for all too long of a time.  I'm ready to get my baking utensils back as well as my KitchenAid stand mixer!  Wahoo!!!  So we'll be on a mini vacation for the rest of this week as we fly up to the U.P. and drive down a moving truck with our stuff.  Hoping the drive back down to Charlotte won't be too brutal.  Baby belly sure is growing by the day it seems, and it's becoming harder to get around and sit or lie down.  Say a little prayer for baby and me on Saturday!

Here is a quick and simple recipe that I am LOVING this summer.  It's sure saving me!  The summer heat calls for drinking even more water every day.  For some people, it's hard to get in the minimum half your body weight in ounces of water daily to stay hydrated.  For pregnant ladies, it's even harder because we have to drink more for baby, and even more if we go outside in the heat!  I've become a bit bored with plain old water, so I've started playing around, adding different fruits and herbs to flavor the water naturally.

I keep a glass pitcher full of this recipe in my fridge and especially enjoy it early and mid-morning.  The cinnamon and ginger help to cleanse out your body and cells naturally, and the sweetness from the citrus is subtly refreshing.

Some other great and simple additions to your water can be sliced or muddled: strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, orange, lemon, mint leaves, pineapple, watermelon, green apple, cucumber, rosemary or grapes.  These and combinations of them have been some of my favorites so far this summer.  And kids LOVE to eat the fruit bits at the bottom of the glass, so it's a great way to encourage your kids to drink all their water, too!  It gives them a goal to reach.

Light & Fresh Spring Elixir

1 liter filtered water
Handful of ice cubes
A couple inches of fresh ginger, chopped into chunks
Handful of fresh mint, slightly crushed
1 cinnamon stick, snapped in half
1 organic orange, lemon, or lime, sliced/wedged

Add all ingredients to a pitcher, stir and enjoy!  Refill pitcher throughout the day as needed, the flavorings will keep on giving!

Chai Tea (Tea, Latte, or Iced)

I know, I know... sorry in advance as it's been about a YEAR since I promised to post our Chai Tea recipe (*blush*)!!  Dave made a batch of his perfected chai tea today, which reminded me, "Holy cow, I still need to post this recipe!"  Sorry to those of you who have been waiting -- I do read your emails with the request!  Now, wait no longer!  :)

We love the spice mixture of chai tea, and most often drink it latte style over ice, but this can be enjoyed as simply a warm cup of tea or a warm latte -- very enjoyable come fall and winter!  And it's so easy to make, it also makes a great gift.  I love packaging up all of the ingredients with directions and a large mug as a fabulous thank you or Christmas gift.  Enjoy!

Chai Tea
Makes About 8 Servings

6  1-inch pieces of fresh ginger root
6 cinnamon sticks, snapped in half
10 green cardamom pods
8 black peppercorns
15 whole cloves
1 Tbsp whole fennel seeds
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp fresh orange zest/peel
8 cups filtered water
5 organic black tea bags (we use Darjeeling) 
Pure liquid stevia, to taste (we usually do about 2 tsp of Stevita brand)
Unsweetened organic almond milk (optional)

1.)  In a medium sauce pan, combine spices and water over High heat.  (I tie them all off in an organic unbleached coffee filter with kitchen string.)  Bring to a boil for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes.  Add the tea bags, return to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let steep for 15 additional minutes.

2.)  Remove tea bags and spices -- if necessary, strain tea mixture thru a stainless steal mesh strainer.  Enjoy immediately for plain chai tea; stir in desired amount of almond milk for warm chai latte; or cool on counter top until room temp, combine with half part almond milk, and serve over ice for iced chai latte.  Sweeten with stevia as desired.

Picnic Week: Apple-Cherry Slaw

Welcome to Picnic Recipes Week at Healing Cuisine!  I am SO SO excited to share with you some new and some classic picnic recipes that are simple to make and easy to tote!  These will of course fall right under the potluck category as well, which I am always getting emails from you all for new potluck friendly recipes.  So these will arrive just in time for your 4th of July celebrations!  Hope you find some inspiration for your summer events in the upcoming week's worth of recipes!

I'm kicking off Picnic Week with a sweet and tangy Apple-Cherry Slaw!  Enjoy!!

Apple-Cherry Slaw
Makes 8 Servings

DRESSING
1/4 cup Bragg's apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice/lemon juice
10 drops pure liquid stevia
2 tsp organic unsweetened Dijon mustard
Dash ground cinnamon
Dash ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil

SLAW
4 cups organic red cabbage, shredded
2 cups organic arugula, rinsed and dried
1 Granny Smith apple, 1 inch thin slices
1/2 cup unsweetened dried cherries, coarsely chopped (can substitute raisins; OMIT IF ADVANCED PLAN)
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup raw walnuts, coarsely chopped

1.)  In a large bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar, orange juice, stevia, mustard, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt until smooth.  While briskly whisking, stream in olive oil until dressing is emulsified.

2.)  Add remaining salad ingredients to bowl.  Toss well to coat.  Chill for up to 2 hours before serving for maximum crispness.  If making in advance, wait to add the Granny Smith apple and arugula until just before serving.

Chicken Breasts with Oranges

One of the perks to living and working in Orlando is that we have amazing patients who bring us bags full of fresh, organic oranges from their back yards!  We get about a dozen oranges a week, and don't get me wrong, we love them!  I've been putting them on salads, into smoothies, sliced for a snack, etc.  But it's been a month and we're getting a little oranged out.  So I tried turning the orange into a savory meal.  This turned out as a very elegant dish for sure.  We felt like it could be served at a fancy restaurant.  And again, we were so hungry that we dove in to eating before I remembered to snap a photo.  It was very pretty tho.  I laid the reduced orange segments over the chicken breast then drizzled the sauce over top.  Delish!  We served with steamed cauliflower, perfect for soaking up the savory orange cream sauce!

Chicken Breasts with Oranges

Makes 4 Servings

4 free-range, organic boneless chicken breasts, butterflied

3 Tbsp coconut oil
3 Tbsp organic butter
3 large oranges, segmented and deseeded
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 cup organic, sodium-free chicken stock
1/2 cup organic/raw whole milk or cream
Dash of nutmeg

1.)  In a large skillet, add the coconut oil and butter and heat for a minute over Medium heat.  Place the chicken breasts in a single layer and cook, uncovered, over Medium heat about 8 minutes per side.  Transfer the chicken to a plate.

2.)  In the bottom of the skillet, put the orange segments and the onion slices.  Cook over Medium heat for about 6 minutes stirring occasionally.

3.)  Add the chicken broth and cream to the skillet and stir to incorporate and bring to a boil. Add the chicken breasts.  Sprinkle each with a dash of nutmeg, cover the skillet, lower the heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.  Plate and serve.

Kombucha Smoothie

Kombucha Smoothie
Serves 1

3/4 cup raw Kombucha tea (plain or flavored, your choice)
1/2 cup filtered water
5-6 frozen organic strawberries (or handful of organic frozen blueberries/raspberries/blackberries)
2-4 frozen organic kale leaves
1 orange, peeled (omit if Advanced Plan)
1 pinch of spoonable stevia (optional)

Blend all ingredients until smooth and serve.

I haven't tried this with protein powder yet, not sure if the Kombucha would like that.. Watch out for foamage if you do add powder! :)  If you try it, please let me know how it goes!!  You'd be safe adding hempseeds for protein ==>  4 Tablespoons of hempseeds = 22 grams of protein!  And don't forget they're packed with healthy omega fatty acids!

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.

Warm Spinach and Sweet Potato Salad

This is really more of a meal salad than a side salad -- those sweet potatoes will fill you up!  But remember to add protein to your meal: maybe add some chicken, hard boiled eggs and/or almonds to the salad or side it with a protein shake/smoothie.  We didn't have much else in the kitchen protein-wise today, so we had the salad as is with vanilla protein shakes -- yum!

Warm Spinach and Sweet Potato Salad
Makes 4 servings

2 lg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1/4 c and 2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp sea salt
2 slices uncured organic turkey bacon (2 oz)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced thin
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
fresh squeezed juice from 2 oranges (about 1/2 c)
1 lb fresh spinach leaves, rinsed and spun dry

1.)  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Put sweet potatoes on baking sheet, drizzle with 1/4 c coconut oil (melted on the stove top if not already liquid) to coat.  Sprinkle with sea salt and place in oven to roast, turning occasionally.  Potatoes should be brown and tender after about 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside.

2.)  Cook bacon in stainless steal skillet over medium heat while potatoes roast.  Turn once or twice until crisp and cooked thru.  Drain bacon pieces on paper towel, chop into bit size pieces and set aside.  Pour fat out of skillet, leaving and darkened bits on bottom of pan.  Put back on stove over medium heat.  Add 2 Tbsp coconut oil.  When coconut oil is melted and sizzling, add bell pepper, onion, ginger and sprinkle of sea salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally til veggies are cooked tender.  Stir in cumin and turkey bacon.  Stir in orange juice and turn off heat.

3.)  Place spinach in a large bowl.  Add sweet potatoes, warm dressing and sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Toss to combine.  Serve immediately.

Orange Honey Grilled Chicken

A sweet yet savory dish perfect for spring!  We broke out the grill, used what we had left in the kitchen and gave it a shot -- really enjoyed it!  It's a great change from the traditionally plain salt and pepper topping to chicken.  We grilled this up with sliced bell peppers and orange wedges.

Orange Honey Grilled Chicken
2 Tbsp organic butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c organic honey
1 Tbsp orange zest
3 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tsp fresh black pepper
sea salt to taste
4 chicken breasts, halved (bone in or out is your choice)

1.) Preheat grill over medium heat.

2.) Melt butter in stainless steel skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook until aromatic (about 2 minutes).  Whisk in honey, orange juice and orange zest.  Reserve half for basting chicken while cooking.  Brush other half on chicken breasts.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

3.) Lightly oil grill with coconut oil.  Place chicken on the grill.  Cook for 6-8 minutes per side depending on thickness.  Baste often during the last 5 minutes.  Chicken is cooked thru when juices run clear.