Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup

This is a new crowd favorite! We had a house full of family and friends over on New Year’s Day to watch the Football games for the College Football Playoff Series. We were cheering on our Crimson Tide football team, and while the outcome of the Bama game was a sure disappointment, at least this new soup recipe was a WIN! I chopped everything very quickly that morning, then placed everything in the crockpot and didn’t think about it till 8 hours later when it was ready to serve. The house smelled amazing too!

Ingredients

1 tbls of unrefined coconut oil

2 lbs organic boneless skinless chicken breasts

15 oz can organic diced tomatoes (or fresh diced tomatoes)

2-3 cloves of fresh minced garlic

1 large, or 2 small organic bell peppers, chopped/diced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped/diced

2 cups organic free range chicken broth

1 tbls chili powder

1 tsp oregano

3/4 tsp paprika

1 tbls cumin

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Optional- for a spicier soup you can add a diced jalepeno or a few tbls of hot sauce. A few other add in options are sliced organic mushrooms or organic black beans.

Directions:

1) Place the tablespoon of coconut oil in the bottom of your crock pot or slow cooker.

2) Chop/dice all the vegetables.

3) Place the chicken breast in the crock pot, and then add in the onion, bell pepper, garlic (and any add on’s such as jalepeno or mushrooms) on top of the chicken.

4) Pour the chicken broth in to cover the chicken, followed by the diced tomatoes.

5) Add in the seasonings: chili powder, oregano, paprika, cumin, sea salt, pepper.

6) Cover the crock pot/slow cooker and set on the low heat option for approximately 6-8 hours.

7) As you are serving the soup, you can pull apart or shred the chicken into the serving bowls.

Toppings: A few options for adding to the top of your soup are organic sour cream, organic plain yogurt, shredded organic raw cheddar or jack cheese, and/or sliced avocado.

Serves approximately 6 people

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Baked Ziti with Lentil Pasta

Ingredients:

2 boxes of the Tolerant Brand Red Lentil Penne Pasta

Tomato Sauce approx 6 cups (can make your own or buy organic ready made sauce in Jar)

2 lbs fresh Mozzarella (1 lb cut into cubes and other 1 lb thinly sliced)

15 oz container of Ricotta Cheese (prefer natural by nature grass-fed brand)

1 1/2 cups freshly grated raw Parmesan Romano Cheese

2 cloves of garlic freshly minced

1 1/2 tsp dried parsley

freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a little sea salt, and boil the lentil pasta until al dente (approx 8-10 minutes). Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix the ricotta cheese with the fresh minced garlic and the 1 lb of cubed mozzarella cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and parsley.

Toss the cooked pasta with the cheese mixture, tomato sauce, and half of the parmesan cheese. Then transfer the mixture into a well greased (use coconut oil to grease dish) large baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese and top with the other half of the sliced mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Bake until lightly browned and hot, approximately 20-30 minutes.

Serve immediately, approximately 8-12 servings.

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Paleo Cupcake Recipe

Are you in need of a healthy cupcake recipe for an upcoming event or your little peanut’s birthday party? Look no further, not only are these cupcakes gluten and grain free, but they are actually delicious! I used this recipe from the amazing Elana’s Pantry website for my children’s birthday parties this year. Even guest that do not eat the way we do loved the cupcakes, so much so that they were all gone! There were no leftovers, but that’s always a good sign. It’s also a great way to introduce people to real food and healthy eating.

Here’s the fantastic recipe for Vanilla Cupcakes from Elana’s Pantry:

  • 1 cup coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 12 organic free range eggs
  • 1 cup grape seed oil
  • 1 cup raw honey
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract (gluten free)
  1. In a medium bowl, combine coconut flour, salt and baking soda
  2. In a small bowl, blend together eggs, grapeseed oil, honey and vanilla
  3. Mix wet ingredients into dry and blend with a mixer or hand blender until smooth
  4. Pour batter into cupcake lined muffin pan
  5. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes (make sure bottoms do not get too dark)
  6. Cool completely
  7. Top with Icing of choice.

~Makes 24 cupcakes

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My favorite, easy, simple, and healthy icing recipe involves only 3 ingredients! Yes, you heard me right, only three ingredients, and can be whipped up in no time.
Chocolate Icing Recipe:
1/3 cup Coconut Oil
1 cup Enjoy Life Dairy Free Mini Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 TBLS Vanilla Extract (gluten free)
  1. Mix the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a saucepan over low heat, it will start to melt quickly. Keep stirring to avoid burning. Once melted add in vanilla extract and stir. Then take off of burner. Transfer to a glass bowl and place in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to harden. Once hardened, use hand mixer to whip until desired consistency is achieved. Then use spatula or butter knife to spread on cupcakes. Makes enough icing for approximately 2 dozen cupcakes.

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Grain-Free Gluten-Free Baking Mixes

We all have those days when we need a quick fix and quick recipe to make… I finally found a healthy convenient solution. On a recent trip to North Carolina I was exploring one of my favorite stores there called Earth Fare when I came upon this brand of baking mixes. It caught my attention quickly as I saw words like Gluten Free, Soy Free, Almond Flour, Coconut Flour, and Paleo-friendly. When I read the ingredients and the instructions, I knew I just had to try it out. I have clients tell me they would love to cook and bake more but they just run out of time. So this is a great alternative, you can have the mix done in about two minutes, and then in the oven it goes! My first item I tried from Simple Mills was the pumpkin muffin mix. I personally think that the spice blend in this mix could not be more perfect. My 16 month old son and 9 year old daughter LOVE them too! I have since tried all of their mixes and they are all wonderful! Health tip: when making these products, I prefer to use coconut oil for the oil mix-in ingredient. We know the multiple benefits of coconut oil and this is a perfect opportunity to include it in a recipe.

The Simple Mills distribution channels are still limited, however you can order directly from the company on their website and shipping was very inexpensive: Simple Mills Website

Here’s a picture of the pumpkin muffin mix I first tried…. YUM! Just in time for Fall, ENJOY!!

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Grain Free Gluten Free Pasta

One of our new favorite finds this year is a grain free, gluten free pasta! My family was thrilled to find a pasta made from beans. This can be utilized on the cellular healing diet, is great for vegetarians and vegans, celiac diets, and Grain Free Gluten Free diet needs. There are two different options:

Black Bean Spaghetti and Mung Bean Fettuchini

Mung Bean Fettuchini

There are many wonderful cold and hot pasta dishes you can create with these products. One of my favorites is homemade meatballs and gravy with the fettuchini! If your local health food store does not carry these then you can purchase online at Amazon. (Bean Pasta Purchase )

Enjoy experimenting with these healthy bean pastas and send us some of your fun recipes you create! We may even feature your recipe on our site!