Category: Advanced Plan

Organic Thai Red Curry Chicken

This is better than restaurant Thai food- especially because YOU control the ingredients.   It took me a total of about 25 minutes from start to finish so “no time” is not an excuse here.  You couldn’t even drive to a restaurant and back in 25 minutes!  This meal is perfectly acceptable on the advanced plan and makes wonderful leftovers.  You can control the spice by adding more or less curry paste.  You could also make this a veggie dish by excluding the chicken and adding more vegetables.

Put this up against your favorite Thai restaurant!

2 teaspoons coconut oil

1 pound organic, free range chicken breasts, sliced very thin with a sharp knife

1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste (you can make your own or purchase store-bought but check ingredients!  You don’t want any sugar hidden in there.  )

1 cup organic zucchini, sliced (remember, this is one of the Dirty Dozen- you need to go organic)

1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips (another dirty dozen veggie)

1/2 onion, chunked

1 can full fat coconut milk

1 avocado, cut into chunks

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (optional)

Other optional add ins:  broccoli, mushrooms, small chunk of lemongrass, 1-2 kaffir leaves (I keep sliced lemongrass and kaffir leaves in my freezer to use in soups, Thai dishes, etc)

Heat the oil in a non-toxic skillet like cast iron or thermalon (GreenPan) and brown the chicken.

Add in the rest of the vegetables and cook until chicken is done and vegetables are slightly cooked but still firm.

Add the coconut milk and red curry paste and mix.

Simmer for a few minutes and discard kaffir leaves and lemongrass.

Top with avocado and add fresh cilantro if desired.  Serve and enjoy.

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Fresh Green Beans from the Garden

My son and I went out to the garden yesterday and hunted through the tangled bean vines and came in with a whole pot full.  There is nothing more satisfying than eating food that was grown in your own back yard.  My husband graciously build up a fenced in garden area so that the monstrous rabbits that co-habitate with us can’t eat everything.  My mother in law runs the planting operation, and my kids and I are on picking duty.  Even if you just grow 1 tomato plant, it is worth it!

I steamed these beans and put some salt and butter just before serving.  Delicious!

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Veggie Strata

I’ve come across several ‘strata’ recipes lately and wanted to try to convert them to a Maximized Living Nutrition Plans recipe.  The cook’s definition for a Strata is : a bread pudding-like layered comfort food casserole made with eggs, cheese and stale cubed bread (or sometimes hash browns).  Since regular cubed bread and/or hash browns were out, I decided to substitute Ezekiel bread which would be acceptable on the Core Plan.  Certainly, you could leave the bread out all together for the Advanced Plan- it would turn out more like a crustless quiche.

The other nice thing about this strata is that you can use any combination of vegetables and cheeses you have on hand.  Don’t be afraid to experiment with flavors.  You can even assemble it the night before and cook it the next day.  This also stores well and can be eaten cold in a lunchbox or on the go.   It is a recipe that you can use for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and is very flexible.  Just use what you have on hand or what is in season.

Veggie Strata

I used grated zucchini and raw cheddar cheese in this strata

1 tablespoon coconut or grapeseed oil

1/2 chopped or grated onion

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (or whatever other spice you like)

2 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed

Approx. 1 cup of any of the following: organic grated zucchini, chopped asparagus, chopped baby bella mushrooms, spinach, artichoke hearts

Approx 1/2 cup – 3/4 cup any of the following cheeses:  raw cheddar, goat cheese, fontina, parmesan, etc.

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (divided)

8 organic, cage free eggs

1 cup almond milk, raw milk, goat milk

2 tablespoons organic dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley)

Black pepper to taste

3 slices Ezekiel (or any sprouted whole wheat bread), crusts removed and cut into cubes – LEAVE THIS OUT FOR ADVANCED PLAN!

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, thyme, and garlic and cook until soft.  Add in the vegetables and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook until cooked but still crisp.  Set aside.

Whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, parsley, pepper and remaining 1/4 tsp sea salt.

Butter a 9×13 baking dish and place the bread across the bottom.  Spread veggie mixture over the bread then sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheese.  Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and top with remaining cheese.  Let stand for about 10-15 minutes to let the bread soak up some of the liquid.

Bake in a 375º oven for about 30 minutes or until firm in the center and browned on top.

Let stand for about 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Cut strata into squares for serving

Kimberly Roberto1 Comment

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

One of my friends inspired me to try my hand at a great, healthy ice cream.  My favorite ice cream when I was young was mint chocolate chip.  I would never consider ordering anything else.  However, since sugar doesn’t work for me anymore- mint chocolate chip ice cream is just not an option anymore- or is it.

A couple of years ago, I purchased an inexpensive 2-Quart ice cream maker.  I never really got brave enough to try making ice cream without the traditional sugar, milk, and cream until recently.  I mastered vanilla and chocolate using coconut milk, xylitol, stevia, vanilla, and cocoa powder.  I was pretty amazed that the coconut milk turned into a nice creamy ice cream.  The best part is that it is dairy free and sugar free!

Last night, I thought I would get a little more daring and attempt a mint chocolate chip ice cream.  The result was just what I needed to bring back those childhood memories of the ice cream shop.

Here’s the recipe:

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream- Sans Sugar and Dairy

4 cups full fat coconut milk

1 cup xylitol

1 teaspoon peppermint flavored liquid stevia

1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

2 handfuls cocoa nibs

Mix the first 4 ingredients with a hand mixer until xylitol is dissolved.  Add cocoa nibs and put into the ice cream maker (follow your machines instructions).  Mine took about 25 minutes and came out with a soft-serve type texture.  Transfer to a glass container, cover, and freeze for a firmer ice cream.

Kimberly Roberto1 Comment

Stuffed Porto Patty

Last night, I decided to go meatless and made Stuffed Porto Pattys from the Maximized Living Nutrition Plans Book.  One of the many joys of cooking is being able to improvise.  I was out of tomatoes so I just substituted chopped zucchini instead.  I also substituted a very light sprinkle of raw cheddar cheese instead of goat cheese.   The portobello mushrooms are so rich and meaty and satisfying that will satisfy even big appetites.

Before Cooking

These portobello mushroom caps make the perfect ‘bowl’ and can be stuffed with any veggies you have on hand.  You can even leave off the cheese entirely.   The recipe suggests grilling, but since it was raining last night, I just popped mine in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes.

You can also assemble the mushrooms ahead of time and just sprinkle with the cheese and pop them in the oven when you are ready.  It only took me minutes to gather and chop the ingredients, then just 25 minutes in the oven.

 

4 medium portabello mushroom caps

1 large tomato, diced

1 organic yellow bell pepper, diced

6-8 kalamata olives, sliced

4 leaves chopped basil

1/2 small red onion, diced

2 handfuls organic spinach

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

2 tablespoons grass fed butter or avocado oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon course ground black pepper

goat cheese crumbles or raw cheddar cheese, optional

 

Melt butter or avocado oil and lightly cook garlic until tender.  Wipe off any dirt from the mushrooms with a damp towed.  Brush insides of mushrooms with half of the melted butter/garlic mixture.  Sautee peppers, onion, tomatoes, spinach, olives, salt, and black pepper with the rest of the butter/garlic for  3-4 minutes or until tender.  Meanwhile, grill or bake mushroom caps for approximately 4 minutes or until softened.  Fill the caps with the veggie mixture and cheese if desired, continue cooking until cheese is melted and everything is heated together.

After Cooking

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Advanced Plan – On The Go Ideas

I have people ask me all the time for quick and easy Advanced Plan snack and on-the-go ideas.  This is especially important now that we are entering the summer months and people are traveling, picnicing, and spending a lot of time outdoors.  When you are commited to eating well, you must also be organized and plan ahead.  Here are some ideas to get you going.  The items below are great for packing in a cooler or insulated lunch container.

raw veggies / dips

grass fed beef jerky (homemade is easy, just slice grass fed beef very thin and marinate in tamari or liquid aminos, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and any other spices you like.  Lay them in a dehydrator and let them go until done)

Grilled chicken

Any type of salad mixture (see my prior post for terrific Smoked salmon

Hard boiled eggs

Almond power bars (just make sure you keep them cool)

Apple/flax muffins

Mini omelet muffins (just mix eggs, salsa, onions, etc and bake them in muffin cups)

Homemade trail mix

Kale chips – you can do them in a dehydrator or in the oven (see my prior post for recipe)

Nuts/seeds

Almond butter w/ granny smith apples or celery sticks

Deli turkey (check ingredients) rolled up with hummus and a pickle in the middle

Mushrooms stuffed w/ cream cheese & chopped/cooked turkey bacon

Lettuce wraps – turkey bacon/tomato/lettuce wraps, hummus/sprout/cucumber, smoked salmon/avocado, etc

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment