Reworked: The Green Green Smoothie

If you're here as part of the Green Green Smoothie craze....welcome!  Pinterest has opened a whole new portal to sharing my recipes with newcomers, and really for this one I think I need to be thanking a handful of you for originally sharing the Green Green Smoothie recipe on your boards!  (Thank you!!)  I'm used to seeing a few thousand hits on a daily basis here on my site as a whole.  But, the Green Green Smoothie has been blown out of the water with a thousand hits of its own every single day for the past month or so!  Hope y'all are loving the flavor of the smoothie (I think it's superb), and you can't beat its immune boosting power!

I wanted to share my reworked version of the recipe.  This is my Advanced Plan version, and I like it even better than the original.  And Dr. Dave is hooked (always a good sign)!  Tap in and enjoy!

Green Green Smoothie II
Makes 2 Servings

1 1/4 cups cold filtered water
2 handfuls organic spinach
1 organic cucumber, chopped
3 stalks organic celery, chopped
2 organic Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped
Small handful fresh cilantro
Small handful fresh parsley
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp cayenne powder (optional)
20-30 drops pure stevia liquid (optional)
2 Tbsp flax seed oil (optional)
2 tsp probiotic powder (optional)
2 scoops plain or vanilla protein powder (optional) (I use Natural flavor Vega O.N.E)

Add spinach, cucumber, celery, apple, cilantro and parsley to blender.  Pour water over top.  Starting the blender on Low speed, blend until smooth, gradually moving to High speed (that's the trick for getting a smooth blend).  Add lime juice, cayenne, stevia, flax oil, probiotic powder, and protein powder.  Combine briefly on Low until all the protein powder is just dissolved.  Serve immediately.

For a thicker smoothie, freeze the veggies and green apple first.  Also, check out my Top 10 Smoothie Making Tips.

Now get pinning this version!  It needs to catch up to it's brother!  You can find my Pinterest Boards here.  If you're a fellow pinner, check out the Healing Cuisine Board and Natural Health Board to stay plugged in,  And follow me, so I can follow you!

Sweet Potato Chicken Casserole

It's summer, but does that mean we can't enjoy a good One Pot Wonder?  I didn't think so!  This is a super easy casserole that takes all of 15-20 minutes to mix up.  You can prepare it the night before, and pop in the oven in the evening when you get home from work.  This might also be a good crock pot recipe..  Just skip the pan cooking, dump everything into the crock pot for 6-8 hours.

We like to serve ours over fresh spinach leaves.  A quick supper that even the kids will eat!

Sweet Potato Chicken Casserole
Makes 4 Servings

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 1/4 cups onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 boneless skinless free-range chicken breasts, chopped
1 Tbsp arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
1 cup dry white wine (or vegetable stock)
1 cup sodium free organic vegetable stock
1/4 cup full fat organic coconut milk

1.)  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13 inch baking sheet with coconut oil.  Heat 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil in a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over Medium heat.  Cook onion and garlic until golden.  Add sweet potatoes.  Cook 8-10 minutes until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

2.)  Move vegetables to the edges of the pan.  Put chopped chicken into the center of skillet.  Cook chicken until seared on all sides.  Sprinkle chicken with arrowroot, sea salt, and pepper.  Gradually whisk in chicken stock a bit at a time until all is added to the skillet and arrowroot is dissolved.  Scrape any brown bits from the bottom of pan while whisking.  Stir in wine and coconut milk.

3.)  Scrap casserole mixture into oiled baking dish.  Bake for 1 hour until heated through and bubbly.

Sushi Salad

This is a yummy fresh salad that I've been having for lunch lately, as I had been given a huge bag of brown rice to use up.  And who doesn't love sushi!  This is a play on the California Roll, minus the surimi.  You get all the sushi flavor, in a simpler form!  I've just been doing a vegetarian version, but of course add whatever sashimi you'd like! 

Sushi Salad
Makes 4 Servings

THE DRESSING
about 2 tsp cold filtered water
2 Tbsp Coconut Aminos
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp wasabi powder (more/less to taste)
1 Tbsp boiling water

THE SALAD
3 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar, divided
12-15 drops pure liquid stevia OR 1 Tbsp raw honey
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp raw sesame seeds
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp pickled ginger, chopped (more/less to taste)
3 organic green onions, chopped
2  organic carrots, shredded
1 organic red bell pepper, chopped into match sticks
1 organic cucumber, shredded
1 cup organic green peas
3 sheets nori (dried seaweed), broken up in to bite size pieces
1 avocado, diced
4 large handfuls organic spinach

1.)  Mix the dressing.  Stir together the wasabi powder with the boiling water until a paste forms (if using less wasabi paste, use less boiling water; if using more wasabi paste, use more boiling water).  Whisk other dressing ingredients into the wasabi paste.  Set aside.

2.)  In a large bowl, toss together all of the salad ingredients.  Can be served room temperature or chilled.  On each plate, add a large handful of washed organic spinach.  Spoon salad mixture over the spinach and drizzle with dressing, then serve.

Baked Eggs Florentine

I've got a yummy breakfast recipe for you today, folks!  It would also be a wonderful lunch, or heck, why not dinner, too!

Tune in tomorrow for the our first GIVEAWAY of 2012, our January Gymboss Giveaway!  (Sorry to those who came on Monday looking for it.  My Auto-poster didn't run my post on it Monday morning as it should have!  Don't worry, I'll make up for lost time with TWO prizes tomorrow!)

Today, we're enjoying Baked Eggs Florentine.  It sounds fancy, the ingredients list looks a little long, but believe me..it's not very tedious and you can whip it up in less than 20 minutes!

Baked Eggs Florentine
Makes 4 Servings

3 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Pinch sea salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 cup unsalted raw or organic butter, melted and hot
1 Tbsp grape seed oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
24 ounces of baby spinach, washed and shaken dry
8 free-range eggs
Paprika (for decoration)

1.)  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In blender, place the 3 egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, pinch of sea salt and cayenne.  Blend for about 5 seconds on High or until fully combined.  With the blender running on Medium, remove the plastic insert from the lid and slowly stream in the hot, melted butter. Continue to blend until all the butter is incorporated.  Set aside.

2.)  Heat the grape seed oil in a large oven proof skillet (we used cast iron) over Medium High heat.  Add the onion and cook until translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds longer.  Turn the heat up to High and add the spinach, a couple handfuls at a time, and cook until wilted by tossing with tongs.  Turn off heat.

3.)  Add 1/3 cup of the blender hollandaise sauce to the skillet and stir well to combine.  With the back of a spoon, make 8 indentations in the spinach. Break the eggs into the indentations (eggs may run into each other -- that's okay).  Sprinkle each egg with a little sea salt and pepper.  Transfer the skillet to oven.  Bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still slightly runny, about 6-8 minutes. 

4.)  Remove from oven.  Spoon remaining hollandaise sauce over each egg, sprinkle with paprika and serve.

Green Green Smoothie

Smoothies are always fun to create. It's especially fun to make green smoothies, hiding the sometimes bitter and pure vegetable flavors in a refreshing glass of energy. Feel free to twist around my Green Green Smoothie below. I throw in usually whatever we have on hand. Kale instead of spinach, a frozen cucumber or fresh grapefruit instead of banana. Play around with ingredients and see what new creations you can come up with in your blender!

Green Green Smoothie
Makes 2 Servings

1 1/2 cups organic unsweetened almond milk
1 head organic Romaine lettuce, chopped
2 handfuls organic spinach
3 stalks organic celery, chopped
1 organic Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped, frozen
1 organic pear, cored and chopped, frozen (Core Plan only)
Small handful fresh cilantro
Small handful fresh parsley
1 organic banana, frozen (Core Plan only)
3 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 scoops plain or vanilla protein powder

Add almond milk, romaine lettuce and spinach to blender. Starting the blender on Low speed, blend until smooth.  Gradually moving to higher speeds, add the celery, apple, pear, cilantro and parsley. Finally, add the banana and lemon juice. Finish with 2 scoops of your favorite protein powder. Serve immediately.

Vegetable Frittata

We've been eating a lot of frittatas lately.  For some reason I'm finding it easier to whip one of these up than our usual sunny side up eggs or an omelet.  Not to mention a frittata holds much more room for flavor combinations!  I love them!  We've been doing at least one a week, and sometimes one every day.  :)

You can use any combination of veggies, about 4 cups total for this large frittata.  My favorite right now is in the recipe below, onion, zucchini, green pepper, spinach, chicken if we have some leftover from dinner, and salsa.  Another great combo is leek, tomato and fresh rosemary. 

Vegetable Frittata
Makes 4 Servings

2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, diced
2 organic zucchinis, diced
1 organic green pepper, diced
1-2 handfuls free-range chicken, cooked and chopped
2 large handfuls organic spinach
2 Tbsp organic unsalted butter
6 free-range eggs, beaten
Herbs to your liking (basil and oregano are my staples)
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Organic unsweetened salsa, optional

1.)  Preheat your broiler with oven rack at highest level.  In a large stainless steel skillet on your stove top, add coconut oil over Medium-High heat and saute the onion, zucchini, and green pepper about 5 minutes, until softened.   Add in the chicken and heat thru for 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to Low and add the spinach on top and wilt down, about 30-45 seconds.

2.)  Add the butter to the pan, melting it down and incorporating all thru the mixture, making sure the bottom of the skillet is well coated.  Pour beaten eggs over top, tilting pan as needed to get egg mixture to coat all the veggies.

3.)  Sprinkle optional herbs over top.  Season with sea salt and pepper.  Turn off heat on stove top.  Place skillet under broiler for about 3-5 minutes, until fritata is puffy and light brown.  Remove from oven, cut into wedges and serve.  Top with fresh salsa (optional).

Chickpea Lentil Stew

First of all, if you aren't on the Healing Cuisine facebook page, you might not be aware that I've recently added a deliciously romantic Valentine's Day menu planner to the site!  You can download it here, and I recommend giving yourself a day or two to read thru the menu and get your grocery list compiled.  It's a menu sure to impress your Valentine and set the mood, all while staying on your Maximized Living Nutrition Plan!  :)

I've got another great One Pot Wonder to add to your list!  Even in sunny Orlando, we still appreciate a good stew or casserole now and then.  Check out all the other great One Pot Wonder dishes by selecting the "One Pot Wonder" keyword link under the Labels section at the bottom right of the page.

One Pot Wonder - Chickpea Lentil Stew

Coconut oil
1 onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
3 tsp ground cardamom
3 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp allspice
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 cups brown lentils, rinsed
5 cups filtered water
1  28ounce jar/can of organic peeled, whole tomatoes
Sea salt to taste
Fresh black pepper to taste
16 ounces cooked organic chickpeas, strained and rinsed
2 cups fresh organic spinach

1.)  Heat coconut oil over Medium in a large stock pot.  Add the onions and carrots and stir well to coat. Cook for about five minutes, stirring often, until softened.

2.)  Lower the heat to Low.  Add the garlic and ground spices and stir well.  When the spices’ aroma begins to bloom (in about 30-60 seconds), remove the pan from heat immediately (to prevent burning).  Cook for 30 seconds to one minute more.

3.)  Add the lentils, canned tomatoes, cinnamon stick, sea salt, black pepper and water to the pot. Mash up the tomatoes and stir everything together well.

4.)  Return pot to burner and bring to a boil.  Once stew is boiling, reduce heat to Low and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until both carrots and lentils are tender.  (At this point, I like to take a few ladle fulls and puree in blender then add back to pot to thicken the broth of the stew.   This step is optional.)

5.)  Add the chickpeas and warm thru.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the fresh spinach leaves to wilt.  Ready to serve.


I like to top with a scoop of organic Greek yogurt, crushed raw cashews, and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.  Comfort in a bowl!

Product Review: The Organic Whey

A few weeks ago, I was a happy recipient of a container of The Organic Whey certified organic, "thoughtfully raw," 100% grass fed, hormone-free and gluten-free protein powder.  The company was kind enough to ship it to me so I could sample.  Happy to say I am so pleased with everything about this protein powder, and especially the company!

The Organic Whey was founded under a fabulous philosophy, which I and I'm sure many of you fall right in line with.  After they looked at dozens of protein powders on the market (which I'm sure most of them claimed to be natural), they found none to be truly natural.  And think about the slew of ingredients in most commercial whey proteins...food colorings, preservatives, denatured non-organic whey...etc.  This is what drove the founders of The Organic Whey to create this wonderful pure product.  I encourage you to read their philosophy and mission statement here.

What is unique about The Organic Whey is the specific way they process their whey (haha, sorry, couldn't help but laugh).  In order for any food to remain raw thru processing, meaning all nutritional value is left fully intact, it cannot be heated over 118 degrees F.  If raw fruits/vegetables/dairy/meat/nuts/anything is heated past that, the food is chemically altered to create carcinogens and an acidic food vs. alkaline food.  This is why I am SO excited about The Organic Whey!  Their protein powder is completely raw!  This means our bodies can thrive from it.

It is also great that the ONLY ingredient in this whey protein powder is whey!  No added fillers, preservatives, colorings or flavorings.  Since this is a "plain" flavored powder, it is very versatile.  When we mixed with cold water, I personally thought it had a sweet almost light vanilla taste, but Dave thought it to be just a plain flavor.  It mixes well and isn't gritty.  I do love that there isn't that overpowering vanilla or chocolate flavor to the mix, which most commercial proteins take on.  This means YOU control the ingredients in your smoothies.  If you want vanilla, add some organic extract.  You want chocolate?  Add some organic cocoa powder and a little stevia.  Simple as that.

So, if you can't tell, I am very satisfied with The Organic Whey protein powder.  Here is a new smoothie we created using the powder.  It would also be great in any of my smoothies already on Healing Cuisine!

Green Tea Spinach Smoothie
Makes 1 Serving

12 organic frozen raspberries
2 heaping Tbsp The Organic Whey protein powder
1/2 cup strong brewed organic green tea, cooled/cold
1 big handful organic fresh spinach, rinsed
1/2 cup organic unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup organic full-fat coconut milk
1 Tbsp ground flax seeds (optional)

Add frozen raspberries and spinach to blender and puree to a pulp (may need to add a little of the almond milk).  Add all remaining ingredients to and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Visit The Organic Whey:  http://theorganicwhey.com/.  I recommend signing up for their weekly newsletter, it's great!  Deals, organic recipes and more!  Give their protein powder a try and you will not be disappointed!  I love it!

Last Chance to Enter the Giveaway!!

Hi all,

Just a reminder to enter the Season's Eatings holiday e-book GIVEAWAY!  This is the last day you can enter.  Contest closes at 11:59pm CST tonight.  Be sure to check back here tomorrow at 9:00am CST to see the winner!  Good luck to all!

Here is a tasty smoothie recipe for these wintery days.  We enjoy for breakfast or an after dinner treat!  A great breakfast or snack to serve your holiday guests.

Apple Pie Smoothie
Makes 2 Servings (1 if you're really hungry :)

1 organic Granny Smith apple, cored and diced, frozen

1/2 of an organic cucumber, peeled and cut in chunks, frozen

Large handful of spinach or kale, frozen

1/2 of a large avocado

2 Tbsp raw pumpkin seeds, walnuts or pecans

1 Tbsp cinnamon (to taste)

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla extract

10-15 drops pure liquid stevia

1 1/2 cups unsweetened organic vanilla almond milk

1 scoop vanilla or plain protein powder (Maximized Living Perfect Protein or Garden of Life Raw Meal are great options!)

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth, stopping to stir and scrape sides as needed.  Consume immediately.  Who ever said you can't enjoy apple pie for breakfast?  :)

Now, don't forget to enter the giveaway!  It's easy, and you might win a free copy of Season's Eatings!

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.

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.

Healing Cuisine Chicken Salad

Healing Cuisine Chicken Salad

Makes 6 Servings

3-4 cups cooked free-range chicken, shredded

2-3 cups diced celery

2 Tbsp diced red onion

1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

2/3 cups Healing Cuisine Mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped raw almonds

1/4 cup unsweetened dried cranberries (omit if Advanced Plan)

1/4 tsp sea salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together until combined.  Refrigerate for about 2 hours (or over night) to allow flavors to blend.   Serve over lettuce or spinach leaves.

Shamrock Shake (GUEST POST!)

This is a St. Patrick's Day inspired recipe from my friend Lyra at Back on Track Family Chiropractic in Wisconsin.  I caught the words "Shamrock Shake" as I skimmed through my News Feed on Facebook and my eyes halted on Lyra's status which had this recipe laid out, ready for me to try!  And no people, this is NOT the chemically created shake that you get from a drive thru window, oh no.  This is a health-creating, nutrient and God fat rich energy shake.  Thank you Lyra!!  It is so good!

Shamrock Shake
Makes 1 Serving
 
1 avocado
1 1/2 cups ice
1 cup organic spinach
a few drops food-grade peppermint oil
30-40 drops pure liquid stevia (to taste)
chocolate chips to choco it up (optional)
1 scoop protein powder (optional)

Add all ingredients to blender and mix until smooth.  I didn't have the chocolate chips on hand, but can't wait to try (it still tastes great without chocolate)!  The second time I enjoyed this smoothie this week, I added half of a frozen banana and it was very yummy with the mint.

I was looking for a simple St. Patty's day quote to end this post with and besides a plethora of paragraph sized quotations, I came across this which I will leave you with.  Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Why should you never iron a 4-leaf clover?  You don't want to press your luck.  :)