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.

Steak Tips with Savory Mushroom Sauce

This is a great dish to WoW company with, and is straightforward enough to be a quick dinner fix.  Try this -- grilled steak tips with a slightly salty, super savory mushroom sauce (that can accompany any cut of beef really).  Serve with a side of just about any hearty vegetable (roasted asparagus, steamed broccoli, stir fried zucchini) and you have a great meal that will have your guests asking for more!

Steak Tips with Savory Mushroom Sauce
makes 4 servings

2 lbs sirloin tips, uncut (grass fed of course!)
15 oz beef broth (homemade is best, or else organic salt free from carton in the store)
1/4 c red wine (optional -- use beef broth instead; any table wine that tastes good will do, we used Merlot)
2 cup sliced Portobello mushroom caps
1/4 cup organic butter
1 Tbsp organic butter
2 Tbsp red onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp sea salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper (to taste)
1 1/2 tsp arrowroot
1 Tbsp water

1.)  Melt 1/4 c butter in stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat.  Sautee red onion until transparent.  Add mushrooms and cook until darkened, about 5 minutes.  Remove mushrooms and set aside.  Add remaining butter to pan and add sirloin.  Sear all sides and cook to desired doneness.  Remove from pan and set aside.

2.) Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet.  Add the beef broth, thyme and bay leaf.  Increase heat and bring to a boil.  Allow mixture to boil until it has reduced by about 1/3.

3.) When the sauce is reduced, add garlic.  Return to boil and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes until garlic is aromatic.

4.)  At this point, if you are satisfied with the thinkness of the sauce, add the beef and mushrooms back and heat thru.  I recommend thickening the sauce:  Combine arrowroot with 1 Tbsp of cold water and whisk together until smooth.  Whisk mixture into sauce and heat thru until desired thickness is achieved.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.  Stir in mushrooms and beef tips, heat thru, and serve.

Beef Short Ribs in Chipotle and Green Chili Sauce

I adapted this recipe from one I found on Epicurious.  We had some short ribs sitting in the freezer from the quarter grass-fed cow we purchased in the fall.  This was the perfect way to enjoy them!

Market Tip: Pick well-trimmed ribs with a thick solid portion of meat on the bone, as little fat as possible.

Makes 4 servings

2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh black pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground coriander
4 meaty beef short ribs
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 1/2 c chopped onion
6 large garlic cloves, minced
14 oz organic chicken broth (homemade is best, or else the organic no salt added variety)
1 cc drained organic diced tomatoes (either a glass jar or BPA-Free can)
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped canned chipotle chilies*
3 large fresh Anaheim (California) chilies, stemmed, seeded, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rings
Chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges

1.)  Mix first 5 ingredients in bowl; sprinkle all over short ribs.  Place ribs on plate; cover and chill 1 hour or up to 1 day.

2.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Heat oil in large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat.  Add half of ribs and brown on all sides, about 9 minutes; transfer to plate.  Repeat with remaining ribs. It is important to not overcrowd the pan when doing this, or the ribs will not brown properly and fat juices will escape.

3.)Remove all ribs from the pot and reduce heat to medium.  Add onion and garlic to same pot; cover and cook until onion is soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

4.)Add broth and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits.  Add tomatoes, lime juice, and chipotle chilies.  Return ribs to pot, meaty side down, in single layer.  Bring to boil; cover and cook in oven until ribs are just tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

5.)  Remove pot from oven.  Place over medium heat and simmer uncovered until sauce coats spoon and ribs are very tender, about 25 minutes.  Season sauce with salt and pepper. 

6.)  Bring ribs to simmer over medium heat; add chili rings. Simmer until chilies soften, about 10 minutes. Transfer ribs and sauce to large serving platter or plate individually.  Sprinkle with cilantro; garnish with lime wedges.

*Chipotle chilies canned in a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes called adobo, are available in the ethnic foods isle or by the taco/Mexican foods.

Gluten FREE Cranberry Nut Bread

Let me say that while this is a very delicious recipe, it is not necessarily the easiest.  While coconut flour is delicious and full of fiber, it can be a bit fussy to work with.  It is very important to always sift the coconut flour (at least once, sometime two or three times depending on the humidity) to ensure a smooth loaf/dough.  A word of advice:  it is normal for your loaves to brown both inside and out.  It's just something that happens with coconut flour  This is normal and the bread still tastes delicious.

Cranberry Nut Bread

1/2 c organic coconut flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
5 organic eggs
1/2 c melted coconut oil
1 Tbsp powdered stevia
1/4 c raw honey
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 c frozen organic cranberries (make sure the package is sugar free)
1/2 c chopped raw almonds (chop in your food processor)

1.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease two 6.5x4" loaf pans with coconut oil.  In a medium bowl, sift together coconut flour, sea salt, stevia and baking soda. (If using liquid stevia, add with wet ingredients and use 1/2 tsp.)

2.)  In a large bowl, whip the eggs.  Stir in coconut oil, agave nectar and vanilla.

3.)  Blend dry ingredients into the wet.  Fold in frozen cranberries and walnuts.

4.)  Pour batter into the loaf pans and bake for about 35 minutes.

Delicious, Easy Almond Milk

Almond milk is one of my favorite drinks -- it goes great with everything!  We've been buying it from Trader Joe's lately as it's the cheapest place we can find it at $1.29 a quart, but still, that's expensive when you go thru a quart in a day or two for morning smoothies!

Did you know you can make almond milk right in your own home??  Rich and creamy, it's easy to make and super nourishing.  Cut down on the cost and take control of what is put into your almond milk by trying this recipe at home!  While almond milk is a good alternative beverage for those on the Maximized Nutrition meal plan, a dairy-free kick or even a raw diet, I think it's just plain delicious and you should give it a try  no matter your dietary preference!  I usually drink it by the glassful, but it's also great in tea and smoothies or even for baking or cooking.

Making almond milk is super quick but just a little messy.  You will definitely get your hands wet as you squeeze and strain it thru the cheesecloth.  That extra effort is SO worth it! My absolute favorite way to enjoy this rich, gluten-free almond milk is in iced chai tea with a sprinkle of stevia.

Almond Milk

Makes about 6 servings

2 cups almonds
4 cups water
1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

1. Soak almonds and vanilla bean in enough water to cover overnight
2. Discard soaking water and rinse almonds in a deep bowl of water, repeat until water is clear
3. Place soaked almonds, vanilla bean and 4 cups of water in a blender or food processor
4. Blend on highest speed for about 90 seconds or until completely smooth
5. Strain milk through cheesecloth lined strainer, discarding solids
6. Serve and enjoy, or bottle in a glass container and store in fridge up to 10 days.

Quick Marinara Sauce

Here is a tasty, super quick marinara sauce!  No need to have it cook on the stove top all day.  This recipe tastes great in minutes -- even make it without heating at all for a raw topping to your zucchini "spaghetti noodles"!

2-4 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 c sundried tomatoes
1/2 tsp liquid stevia
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper (more if you're up for it)
2 Tbsp minced fresh basil
1 Tbsp ground oregano

Blend all ingredients except for olive oil in food processor or blender until chunky.  Add to saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until heated thru.  Remove from heat and add olive oil - mix well.  Pour over cooked rice noodles, whole wheat noodles or spiraled green zucchini for a great gluten-free alternative.

Organic Double Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

So this recipe is not my own.  In fact Dave and I haven't been able to test it yet, but I wanted to post it anyway.  This is a recipe for organic, raw cheesecake -- double chocolate cherry cheesecake at that!  Couldn't pass up posting it any longer for you all to try!  It is from Kristen's Raw blog that I peruse now and again.  We'll probably be trying out her recipe next weekend when we (finally) have some down time.  This looks like such an easy fix, and huge bonus -- gluten free!!  Can't pass that up!  If you try it, let me know what you think and I can create more varieties of cheesecake in the raw.  :)

Organic Double Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake
 Yield one 9-inch cake

Crust:
1 ¾ raw almonds
½ cup raw cacao nibs (find them at Whole Foods or your local co-op, a natural chocolate!)
1/8 teaspoon Himalayan crystal salt (organic sea salt will also work)
¾ teaspoon cherry extract
1 tablespoon raw cocoa powder
¾ cup organic raisins

Filling:
3 cups cashews, soaked 1-2 hours, drained
1/3 cup raw agave
6 dates, pitted
½ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup water
2 teaspoons cherry extract
1 cup coconut oil
¾ cup raw chocolate powder

Coulis:
1 bag frozen organic berries (cherries would be optimal but any will do!)
¼ cup raw agave
dash fresh lemon juice
pinch cinnamon

Crust directions: Grind the nuts, cacao nibs and salt in a food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, until coarsely ground. Add the cherry extract and chocolate powder and pulse to thoroughly combine. Add the raisins and process until the mixture sticks together when gently pressed between your fingers. Press into the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch round spring form pan. Place in the freezer while you make the filling.

Filling directions: Using a food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, process the cashews, agave, dates, lemon juice, and water until it’s creamy. This could take 3-5 minutes. You might need to stop and scrape down the sides a couple of times. Add the cherry extract, coconut oil, and cocoa powder and process until creamy. Pour the filling into the spring form pan and freeze the cheesecake so it sets. Let thaw for up to an hour or more before eating.

Coulis directions: Blend all of the ingredients together. and drizzle over each plated slice.

Indulge!