Tag: gluten free

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Pumpkin Spice Protein Bites

On our way out of Houston, TX earlier in 2018, we stopped at a local coffee and kombucha place. They also had some peanut butter chocolate energy bars. The bar was amazing, but had a few ingredients I prefer to avoid. It got my wheels spinning and thus, I created Almond Butter Chocolate Protein Bites. I decided that this recipe could be easily tweaked to make a pumpkin version for pumpkin season This would be the perfect recipe to make with little kiddos!

Pumpkin Spice Protein Bites

cleaneatingwithkatie
This is a new pumpkin version of the Almond Butter Chocolate Protein Bites recipe and is perfect for pumpkin spice season. Unlike most other pumpkin spice things, this is made with real food ingredients and it won't leave you feeling hangry.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 5 people

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup canned pumpkin
  • ¾ cup gluten free oats
  • 5 tbsp warm water
  • ½ cup cashew butter or other nut butter
  • 3 scoops collagen peptides beef or marine
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp raw local honey
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions
 

  • Add the oats and the warm water to a bowl, stir and let sit for 30 minutes. 
  • Once the oats have absorbed the liquid, mix in the remaining ingredients.
  • Use a cookie dough scooper to portion energy balls in paper liners (they are a bit sticky).
  • Enjoy right away or refrigerate covered for up to 3 days (if they'll last that long!).
Keyword apple dessert, fall dessert, pumpkin spice, pumpkin spice protein bites, snack
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Almond Butter Chocolate Protein Bites

These Almond Butter Chocolate Protein Bites were inspired by a vegan peanut butter chocolate protein bar from a juice bar in Houston, TX. I’m not a fan of vegan proteins, so I thought I’d figure out a way to make them myself. After a little tinkering in the kitchen, we found a winner. Jim approved!

Almond Butter Chocolate Protein Bites

cleaneatingwithkatie
These ABC Protein Bites make a great snack or treat that you won't feel guilty about. They also won't leave you hangry like other snacks or sweet treats.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 5 people

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup gluten free oats
  • 4 tbsp warm water
  • ½ cup almond butter
  • 2 tbsp collagen peptides beef or marine
  • 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
  • 2 tbsp chocolate chips Enjoy Life brand is my fave!
  • 2 tbsp raw local honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Add the oats and the warm water to a bowl, stir and let sit for 30 minutes. 
  • Once the oats have absorbed the liquid, mix in the remaining ingredients.
  • Use a 1" cookie scooper to scoop the bites. 
  • Enjoy right away or refrigerate covered for up to 3 days (if they'll last that long!).
Keyword almond butter, almond butter chocolate protein bites, apple dessert, collagen, gluten-free, snack
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Apple Crisp

Apple season reminds me of my grandparents. I spent countless hours baking apple crisps with my Grandmother (actually I was probably just eating the crisp topping, but she still let me bake with her anyway) and making apple cider with my Grandfather’s MacGyver-style apple cider juice press. I also spent a large part of my childhood in their backyard under the apple tree. Apples hold a very special place in my heart. In case you’d like to learn more about Apples, check out this post about apples or this post. 

This recipe is inspired by the crisps I made with my grandmother, but uses gluten-free oats, coconut sugar (a lower-glycemic sugar than cane sugar), and grass-fed butter. 

Apple Crisp

cleaneatingwithkatie
I made countless apple crisps with my grandmother as a child and so this recipe holds a special place in my heart. I've made a few upgrades to this recipe to make it a wee bit healthier, but I'm sure you'll love it just the same.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1¼ cups gluten free oats
  • ¾ cup coconut sugar
  • ½ cup gluten-free flour
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup grass-fed butter room temperature
  • 6 cups apples cored, peeled, sliced

Instructions
 

  • NOTE: To peel, core, and slice the apples. I really like using an "apple peeler-corer-slicer". I have the one from Pampered Chef.
  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Add the apples to a 9" pie pan. 
  • Add the dry ingredients to a medium bowl. Add slices of butter to the bowl and cream the butter and dry ingredients until well incorporated. 
  • Spread the crisp topping over the apples. Cover with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
  • Bake for 35 minutes and then remove the aluminum foil. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until apple juices start bubbling at surface and knife inserts easily into apples. 
Keyword apple crisp, apple dessert
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Beetroot Relish

Avocado Toast from Bricklane Melbourne.

Who doesn’t love Brunch? Recreating an avocado toast that we had in Melbourne at Bricklane Melbourne has been on my to-do list since we got back. It was one of the best brunches of my life (although Melbourne was filled with epic Brunches). This brunch is certainly not identical, but I was after that BEETROOT RELISH and Jim and I both conquer that IT IS DELISH.

My Avocado Toast with Beetroot Relish.

Beetroot Relish

cleaneatingwithkatie
This is just an easy recipe and packs a flavor punch. Beets are also really great for liver and heart health, so it's worth finding a beet recipe that you enjoy.
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Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Australian, European
Servings 8 people

Equipment

  • Cuisenart Food Processor (optional)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 med onion
  • 1¾ lbs Love Beets (about three packs of Love Beets)
  • ¾ cup water
  • ¾ cup organic sugar
  • ⅔ cup red wine vinegar
  • sea salt to taste
  • ground pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • If you do not have Love Beets, you can certainly use fresh beets. Just boil until a knife easily pierces and peel.
  • Grate one medium onion (I prefer to use my Cuisinart Food Processor for this).
  • Grate about 1 3/4 lbs of Love Beets
  • Make a simple syrup with 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar. Add water and sugar to a medium pot on high. Once dissolved, keep stirring and allow some liquid to evaporate. The goal is to create something between a simple syrup and a simple syrup reduction
  • Add beets, onions, and simple syrup semi-reduction to a large bowl and mix.
  • Add red wine vinegar, sea salt, and pepper and mix.
  • Let sit for a couple of hours or ideally, overnight, for the flavor to meld together. Serve with avocado toast, bacon, feta, and a fried egg (or whatever floats your breakfast boat).
Keyword beet relish, beetroot relish, relish

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Quick & Easy Deviled Eggs

This is quite possibly the easiest deviled eggs that you’ll ever make. I had a dinner gathering to attend and completely forgot that I said I’d bring an appetizer. We had basically ZERO food in the fridge, but we did have eggs, Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo, a lime, and cilantro. So I decided to give it a go! My uncle raved about these deviled eggs, so I knew they were good enough to make again for Christmas Eve dinner at a friend’s house. There were already deviled eggs at the party, (OOPS!) but mine flew off the platter. Needless to say, I knew I needed to blog about this recipe.

I would love to know your thoughts!

Quick & Easy Deviled Eggs

cleaneatingwithkatie
These deviled eggs require minimal ingredients and are easy-peasy to make. They will be a crowd pleaser for sure! The Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo adds a ton of flavor – don't swap this for regular mayo!
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Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Equipment

  • electric pressure cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 6 eggs
  • ⅓ cup Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo
  • ½ lime juiced
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • flake salt optional garnish
  • paprika optional garnish
  • 12 cilantro leaves optional garnish

Instructions
 

  • If you have an Instant Pot, you *need* to hard boil your eggs with it. Even farm fresh eggs peel like butter. Add 1 cup of water to the IP. Place 6 eggs in the IP on the removable rack or in a steamer basket. Using the Manual feature and the + / – button to adjust to 7 minutes. (I have found that 7 minutes is the sweet spot for me, but yours may range from 6-8 minutes). When the IP is done, manually release the pressure and add eggs to an ice bath to stop the eggs from continuing to cook. Peel! If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you should get one! In all seriousness, feel free to hard boil your eggs however you like.
  • Once the eggs are peeled, halve the eggs. Place the yolks, mayo, sea salt, and lime juice in a bowl. Use an immersion blender to combine the ingredients until the texture is smooth and creamy.
  • Spoon the yolk mixture back into the eggs.
  • Sprinkle with paprika and flake sea salt (I like Maldon). Add a cilantro leaf to each deviled egg and serve!
Keyword deviled eggs, paleo deviled eggs, paleo side dish
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Hearty Turkey, Vegetable, and Lentil Soup

This soup was created with liver health in mind. Midway through my chemotherapy treatment for Breast Cancer, my liver enzymes were too elevated to continue treatment. We had to postpone treatment for at least one week to make sure that my liver was healthy enough to process the chemotherapy. At that time I was in school to become a Nutrition Consultant and I knew there were things that I could do to “Love my Liver”, so I went home and made some BIG changes to my diet for that week and well, IT WORKED! I went back the next week and my enzyme levels were low enough to continue with chemotherapy. Here is one of the recipes that I made for the “Love my Liver” week.

Hearty Turkey, Vegetable, & Lentil Soup

cleaneatingwithkatie
This recipe was created with liver health in mind to help my liver during chemotherapy. Whether or not you'd like a little extra support for your liver, I'm confident that this soup will be a crowd pleaser.
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Prep Time 14 hours
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

Soup Ingredients

  • 1½ cups green lentils soaked overnight
  • 1 jar diced tomatoes
  • 24 oz bone broth chicken or turkey
  • 2 tbsp grass-fed butter
  • 1 med. onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 small summer squash diced
  • 1 bell pepper diced
  • 6 med carrots diced
  • 6 kale leaves destemmed and coarsely chopped
  • 1 lb pasture-raised ground turkey

Spices

  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • ½ tsp dried rosemary
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • sea salt to taste
  • fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Rinse lentils and let soak overnight. Rinse again until water runs clear before adding to the stock pot.
  • In a stock pot, sauté onions and garlic in butter. Add broth, tomatoes, lentils, and all veggies except the kale to the pot. Then add ground turkey and stir.
  • Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Continue simmering for 30-35 minutes. Add kale and cook for about 5-10 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Keyword paleo, soup, turkey, vegetable, & lentil soup
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Feb. 2014 Book of the Month -Grain Brain

February’s Clean Eating Book of the Month is Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar–Your Brain’s Silent Killers by David Perlmutter. Amazing book! I give this book 5 out of 5 strawberries!Screen Shot 2016-06-24 at 5.28.40 PM

Dr. Perlmutter, author of Grain Brain, is a neurologist. Most people probably think, “what does being a neurologist have to do with writing a book about diet?”. Well, just as we don’t live in a bubble, our bodies’ organs don’t exist in isolation. What we put in our bodies have an impact on how our organs function. Dr. Permutter reviews cutting edge science to demonstrate that diet does play a significant role in the health of our brain and our entire neurological system.

“Gluten is our generation’s tobacco.” This quote resonates with me because I have “heard it” all from well meaning family and friends as to why “everything in moderation” should be the mantra by which we live our lives. It also resonates with me because of the backlash the “gluten free” movement has gotten. Further, I can see so many parallels of doctors that once recommended cigarettes for “stress” and are now recommending “healthy whole grains” as a part of a “balanced diet”.

Through years and years of work with patients, Dr. Perlmutter has seen Alzheimer’s disease destroy many lives. He notes that chronic inflammation is at the root of the disease and that chronically high blood sugar is the main source of the inflammation. In Grain Brain, he calls Alzheimer’s disease Type III Diabetes for this reason.

In addition to his work with Alzheimer’s patients, he treats many patients with ADHD, Autism, MS, and more. Going grain free and refined sugar free is of great help to all of his patients.

This book is amazing and life changing. If you aren’t already gluten free, or if you are gluten free, Grain Brain restates the multitude of reasons why avoiding gluten is the way to go for a healthy body.

Want to know what else I’m loving (not loving)?? Let’s connect on Goodreads!

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Paleo Chili

Chili is one of my favorite dishes. It’s hearty, it’s warming, it’s tasty, I feel like ya just can’t go wrong with chili. In my vegetarian days I made chili and the recipe easily adapted once I began eating meat and the recipe adapted once again when I started avoiding beans (due to the type of fiber in them that can irritate people with SIBO and other GI problems). Here is my current recipe, but it gets tweaked often.

Paleo Chili

cleaneatingwithkatie
Chili tops my list of all time favorite and easy meals to make. It's honestly hard to screw it up! This recipe can be adapted to use any type of ground meat. We often use bison and it provides a great flavor. If you tolerate beans, feel free to add a can or two of kidney beans (or homemade equivalent).
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

Chili Ingredients

  • 24 oz bone broth chicken, turkey, or beef
  • 16 oz diced tomatoes
  • 1 med onion diced
  • 4 med carrots diced
  • 4 celery stalks diced
  • 4 cloves garlic diced
  • 2 tbsp grass-fed butter
  • 2 lbs ground bison pasture-raised
  • 2 tbsp fresh sprouts optional garnish
  • 1 tbsp grass-fed sour cream optional garnish (per serving)
  • ½ avocado optional garnish (per serving)

Spice Blend

  • 1 tbsp coriander
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • sea salt to taste
  • fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a stock pot, sauté onions and garlic in butter until translucent.
  • Add bone broth, tomatoes, remaining veggies, spices, and bison. (If you're adding beans, add them in during this step.)
  • Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Continue on a low simmer for 45 min.
  • Top with avocado, sprouts, and sour cream (if using). Serve immediately and enjoy!
Keyword chili, paleo, paleo chili, soup

Tomatoes are rich sources of vitamins C & K, carotenes (especially lycopene), biotin and fiber. They are protective against cancer and should be eaten with an oil to improve absorption.

Celery is helpful in preventing cancer, improves white blood cell activity, and helps to lower blood pressure. It is rich in potassium and sodium. It helps the liver to detoxify as well.

Onions are a member of the allium (lily) family and are related to garlic & leeks. Alliums are known to have a cholesterol reducing effect and are known for their ability to help fight off cold and flu viruses. Onions are rich in antioxidants and biotin, manganese, copper, phosphorous, potassium, vitamins B1, B6, C, and fiber.

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Breakfast Casserole

While visiting my Aunt Regina and Uncle John in Austin for our trip to South by Southwest in 2010, she made us a delicious breakfast casserole. Ever since then I’ve played with the recipe and made it my own.

First, I added MORE veggies to the original recipe, because, well, VEGGIES. Next, I began omitting the potatoes when we went Paleo. I’ve made it with several different meat options; just bacon, bacon and sausage, just sausage, or some leftover ham during the holidays. My latest version has no cheese since I’m avoiding most dairy. No matter which version you make, it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser. This is my current go-to version.

This is the perfect recipe for Sunday brunch, Christmas breakfast (our tradition), or to make ahead for quick-and-easy breakfasts for the week. While on The 21-Day Sugar Detox, this has been a great option for my husband and I. Let me know what you think!

This picture doesn’t do it justice. I’ll be updating the photo soon.

Breakfast Casserole

cleaneatingwithkatie
If you have a pot-luck or are entertaining some guests this breakfast casserole is perfect. You can use what veggies you have on hand or use your favorites instead. To make it more kid-friendly, reduce or omit the amount of green chilies and/or red pepper flakes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Breakfast, Brunch, casserole
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 12 eggs pasture-raised
  • 8 slices pasture-raised bacon cooked and chopped
  • 1 can diced green chilies
  • 2 bell peppers diced
  • 1 med onion diced
  • 2 tbsp grass-fed butter
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp granulated garlic
  • sea salt to taste
  • fresh ground pepper to taste

Optional Ingredients (add any or all of these to tweak the recipe)

  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 large russet potato grated
  • ½ lb ground pork sausage cooked
  • 1 cup ham cooked and coarsely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Grease a 13″ x 9″ pan with oil of your choosing (I would use bacon fat reserved from cooking the bacon).
  • Sauté the bell peppers and onions in a skillet with the butter.
  • Crack the eggs into a bowl and scramble. Season with sea salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic.
  • Optional items: If using the optional items, layer the potatoes first and the cheese last, so it is on top. If using the ham and or sausage, layer them with the bacon.
  • In the baking dish, layer the bell peppers, onions, chili peppers, bacon, and then pour the egg scramble on top.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes or until firm in the middle. Cool for 10 minutes, then cut and serve. 
Keyword breakfast casserole, casserole

Eggs are a good source of protein and healthy fat; often considered a “perfect food”. They are a good source of vitamins B12, B6, and D, riboflavin, choline, phosphorous, selenium, folic acid, pantothenic acid, iron, and omega-3s. It is important to choose pasture-raised, organic eggs because they are rich in the above nutrients, while factory-farmed eggs generally are not.

Green Bell Peppers are one of the most nutrient dense foods and are a great source of fiber. They are rich in vitamins C, K, B6, thiamin, folic acid, and also beta-carotene. They are great sources of phytonutrients. Green bell peppers help prevent against cataracts, prevent blood clots, which reduces risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Onions are a good source of vitamins C and B6, potassium, and manganese. They are also rich in antioxidants, particularly quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin, which all play a role in cancer prevention. Onions also help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

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Asian Style Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Ever since going paleo a few years ago, we’ve been trying to expand our repertoire of recipes. A colleague suggested lettuce wraps and boom this recipe was born. It’s been tweaked over the years, but here it is in its latest form.

 

Asian Style Turkey Lettuce Wraps

cleaneatingwithkatie
Lettuce Wraps are quick, easy, and a crowd pleaser, need I say more? Feel free to tweak the veggies to add bok choy, mushrooms, or water chestnuts. This recipe will be in your repertoire for sure!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Cuisinart Food Processor (optional)

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs pasture-raised ground turkey
  • 5 med carrots tops trimmed
  • 4 celery stalks tops and ends trimmed
  • 1 med. onion outer skin peeled and quartered
  • 10-12 romaine lettuce leaves rinsed and dried
  • 2 tbsp cooking fat ghee, duck fat, butter, etc.
  • 2 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 2 tbsp coconut vinegar or rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • ¼ cup green onions, diced optional garnish

Instructions
 

  • Melt the cooking fat in a skillet over medium heat and add the ground turkey. Brown the meat.
  • While the turkey is browning in the pan, grate the onion, celery, and carrots in a food processor, using the grater blade.
  • Once turkey is nearly all browned, add the coconut aminos, vinegar, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, and sesame oil. Mix to combine. 
  • Add the grated vegetables and bring to a low simmer until veggies are cooked.
  • Place ground turkey mixture on the romaine lettuce leaves. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
Keyword asian style lettuce wraps, lettuce wraps

Onions are a good source of vitamins C and B6, potassium, and manganese. They are also rich in antioxidants, particularly quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin, which all play a role in cancer prevention. Onions also help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Quercetin plays a large role in healing the gut.

Carrots are good sources of vitamins A, C, B6 & K, biotin, potassium, thiamine (B1), and fiber. They are also rich in antioxidants and good source of starchy carbohydrates.

Turkey is rich in glutamine, which is an important amino acid for healing the small intestines of those with leaky gut. It is also rich in vitamins B6 and B12, protein, niacin, phosphorous, selenium, zinc, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, iron, potassium, and magnesium.

Ginger has long been used for gastrointestinal problems, making this an ideal food for those with leaky gut and other GI troubles. It relaxes and soothes the intestines and promotes the elimination of gas. It is also anti-inflammatory. Always choose fresh over dried, as it has higher levels of ginger’s active protease.