Category: Breakfast

Homemade Grass Fed Beef Sausage

Sausage is one of the biggest pitfalls of the Standard American Diet and unfortunately, it is one of the most popular.  Pork itself is a bad idea because of it’s high levels of toxins and the fact that it is highly acidic.   The pork is then coupled with nitrites, preservatives, and additives to make what we know as sausage.  The World Cancer Research Fund’s report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective (2007) warned people that processed meat is dangerous.  The report went as far as to say that processed meats are too dangerous for human consumption and should be avoided FOR LIFE!  The chemicals in these types of meats are known to cause many types of cancer and are just to detrimental to health.  See the report here  http://www.dietandcancerreport.org/

So, if you love sausage but have been scared by the above information, here is a perfect replacement that not only tastes great but is healthy!

Homemade Grass Fed Beef Sausage

makes 16 patties

2 pounds grass fed beef
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sage leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground coriander

Shape into patties and cook on low-med heat until done.  These can also be frozen for a quick breakfast later on.

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

Weekly Meals

As part of our Lighten Up Weight Loss challenge, my husband and I promised to post what we eat daily.   Most of the people in the challenge are going with the Advanced Plan so that is what we are following so everything listed is approved fare.  Hopefully this will help people get additional meal ideas and to see how easy it is to apply to a busy life.    (F=Fred and K=Kim)

Wednesday Day 1 of the Weight Loss Challenge

Breakfast

F- 3 egg whites

K- Onions/spinach w/ fried eggs (I sauté the veggies and crack the eggs right in the pan with them.  I usually break the yolk but you can leave them sunny side up.

Lunch

F- Chicken over spinach salad with olives

K- Salmon with pesto cauliflower (I put it right in my vitamix and it comes out the consistency of risotto then add pesto sauce and salt)

Dinner

F&K- Grilled chicken with asparagus

Snacks

F-AM -Coconut Flakes, PM- Almonds

K-PM- Celery w/ Almond Butter

Thursday

Breakfast

F & K- Chocolate & Blueberry smoothie made with frozen blueberries, cocoa powder, chocolate NaturePro (available at the office soon or order from http://www.maximizedlivingdrroberto.com/), and coconut milk

Lunch

F & K – bowl of coconut soup and plate of stir fried vegetables w/ tamari

Dinner

F&K Grass fed steak with sautéed zucchini and green salad w/ olive & vinegar

Snacks

F- 2 hard boiled eggs

K- handful of almonds & walnuts

Friday

Breakfast

F&K- Blueberry chocolate smoothie

Lunch

F&K – grass fed steak fajitas w/ avocado – grassfed flank steak (purchased from http://www.whiteoakpastures.com/).  Marinated in apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, spike seasoning overnight.  Cooked on cast iron grill pan.  Sauteed sliced red bell pepper, onion, and celery in butter in a cast iron pan, added spinach at the last minute.

Dinner

F&K- Grilled Chicken Salad – organic chicken put between parchment and pounded to about ½” thickness.  Seasoned with organic seasoning mix, salt, and black pepper.  Grilled on cast iron grill pan.  Salad- red leaf lettuce, black olives, ½ tomato (tomatoes in moderation), cucumber, celery, onion, hearts of palm, slivered almonds with oil & vinegar.

Snacks

F – Almond Power Bar (recipe in boos), Coconut Flakes

K- green tea

Saturday

Breakfast

F&K – Berry smoothie

Lunch

F&K – at a wrestling tournament all day- packed leftover grilled chicken salad and almond power bars

Dinner

You CAN still eat out during your 30 day challenge,  you just have to be very careful what you order- here is what we did…

F- La Parrilla Mexican Restaurant – Monterrey Chicken Salad with no bacon, no cheese, no tortillas, salsa for dressing.  Chicken soup with no rice.  Unsweetened iced tea with stevia

K- Monterrey Chicken Salad, no bacon, no cheese, no tortillas, added extra avocado, salsa for dressing.  Unsweet tea

Snacks

F- handful almonds & cashews

K- almond power bar

Sunday

Breakfast

F- 3 scrambled eggs

K- Scrambled eggs with onions and mushrooms

Lunch

F- spinach/romaine salad w/ cucumbers, zucchini, black olives, oil&vinegar and 2 cups of chicken soup

K- romaine with cucumbers, zucchini, red onion, black olives, broccoli, celery, oil&vinegar and bowl of vegetable soup.

Dinner

F & K- taco salad- grass fed ground beef (from Publix) + taco seasoning recipe from the book with shredded raw cheddar cheese (from Nature’s Corner Market), whole avocado, black olives, cucumbers, salsa for  dressing.

Snacks

F&K- chocolate bark (recipe in the book), almonds

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

No-atmeal – Grainless Hot Cereal – Must Try!

I came across this wonderful recipe over the weekend and just had to try it.  I whipped it up this morning and was amazed at how good it was.   It was a creamy, crunchy, rich, delightful change of pace.  Although the original recipe contains a high glycemic banana (bananas should typically be saved for before or after exercise)- the fact that there is no oatmeal or grains of any kind make it a terrific breakfast treat.   The Advanced Plan version merely takes out the banana and adds a small amount of stevia.  Amazing what you can do with food.

It is full of healthy proteins and good fats along with being full of vitamins and minerals.  The best part is that it is perfect for a cold morning and so satisfying that I won’t even think about food for at least 4 hours.

So here it is- give it a try.

  • 1 small handful of walnuts
  • 1 small handful of pecans
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
  • 1/2 – 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch of ground nutmeg
  • 1 pinch ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • 1 banana, mashed or Stevia to taste for Advanced Plan
  • 3 organic eggs
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (add more if you prefer it a little runny)
  • Optional: 2 teaspoons pumpkin seeds, 1 handful of fresh berries

Directions:

Add walnuts, pecans, flax seed and spices to a food processor and pulse it down to a course grain, making sure to stop before it’s totally ground into a powder. Set aside.

Beat eggs, add almond butter, and almond milk and mix well.

Stir in the nut mixture. Gently warm on the stove until the “no-atmeal” reaches your desired consistency; this should only take a few minutes. Stir the mixture frequently as it cooks.

Sprinkle pumpkin seeds and berries on top if desired . Add more almond milk if you want.

recipe & picture courtesy of Doug Descant & Mark’s Daily Apple

 

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment