Category: Core Plan

Easy Coq Au Vin

This is a fancy dish that is a breeze to make.  Serve with a green salad and you have a very elegant meal.
4 Organic, Free Range Chicken Breasts
1 cup fresh mushrooms, any kind
1 cup carrots
1 cup red wine
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3/4 tsp dried marjoram
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 cup organic chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups water
1/8 cup coconut flour

Cover the bottom of a large pot or dutch oven with grapeseed or coconut oil.  Sautee chicken over medium heat until browned on all sides (about 15 minutes)

Add the mushrooms, carrots, wine, onions, parsley, garlic, marjoram, thyme, chicken broth, pepper, bay leaf, and water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Add more water if necessary- you want the liquid to almost cover the ingredients.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken, mushrooms, carrot, and onions to a platter discarding the bay leaf.  Cover to keep warm.

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of the liquid from the pot with 1/8 cup of coconut flour.  Stir to mix, then cook until bubbly.

Pour broth over chicken and vegetables to serve or merely put everything  back into the pot.

Enjoy

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

Great Summer Salad – Chicken on Greens with Pears & Candied Walnuts w/ Fresh Rasperry Vinaigrette

This was a super easy and delicious salad that the whole family loved.  It’s great for hot summer days when you don’t want anything heavy.  The bright pink of the dressing against the greens makes for a beautiful presentatio.  If there could be such a thing as a dessert salad, this would be it.  Just assemble the following:

I started with some Chicken Savoy (recipe in the   Maximized Living Nutrition Plans book) but any type of sliced chicken will do.

Baby Greens

1 Pear, sliced

Candied Walnuts– 2 handfuls walnuts (I made extra for snacking), 2 tablespoons melted butter, xylitol & cinnamon to taste.  Mix nuts with butter, xylitol & cinnamon.  If desired, you can LIGHTLY roast them in the oven and let cool or just set them aside without roasting.

Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette

1/2 cup grapeseed oil
a couple of pinches of stevia
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 tsp fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
half of 1/2 pint fresh raspberries, about 1/2 cup (you can also use frozen raspberries if desired)

Combine all ingredients except berries in food processor or blender and process briefly to emulsify. Add berries and process until liquid.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups. Store in fridge and shake or whisk well before using again.

OPTIONAL:  gorgonzola or goat cheese crumbles

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Kale Chips- Unbelievably Yummy!

I’m not sure I would have ever believed that Kale chips would be a good replacement for potato chips but these things are awesome.  The trick is to use a dehydrator to get the crispy texture.  I made these as samples at our Total Food Makeover last Saturday and I had so many comments about how good they were.  Here you see my kids “massaging” the kale to get it prepared for the dehydrator.

Dehydrated Kale Chips

2-3 bunches of fresh kale (lacinato/tuscan or curly)

1/4-1/2 cup olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Sea Salt to taste

Any other spices you would like:  garlic powder, chili powder, red pepper, etc.

#1 – Prepare the kale – I prefer to leave most of the stems in but if you are preparing for kids or skeptics, you may want to cut out the hard stems.  Chop into bite sized pieces and put in a big bowl.

#2 – Add the rest of the ingredients and here’s the trick:  massage the kale to incorporate all of the flavors and to soften the texture.  It should be about 1/2 the size of where you started.

#3 – Spread on the sheets of a dehydrator.  (I use an Excalibur that I bought refurbished for about $150- it has 9 dehydrating shelves).  Set dehydrator for 115 degrees – this keeps all of the enzymes in tact meaning it is still considered a raw food.  The dehydration process takes about 8 hours.  I usually put it in before bed and it is ready to go first thing in the morning.

ALTERNATE METHOD:  You can bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes but you lose the raw status and they are definitely not as crispy.

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment