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Blueberry Ginger Shrub
Want the perfect drink for get togethers & parties? A Fruit Shrub is non-alcoholic, all natural, healthy and tastes like a mix between kombucha and a cocktail. I love how refreshing a shrub is and its a great alternative to drinking soda.
I usually make a big bottle of shrub syrup and then it lasts me for months. When people come over I don’t have to worry about buying any other beverages as long as I have sparkling water. The best part is you can use any type of fruit and herbs to create all kinds of flavors.
Directions:
Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. Let sit for a day and then strain out the pulp. I use a nut bag. If you want to skip the straining step you can use fruit juice instead of fresh or frozen fruit that way it wont have any pulp.
I love using strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Some herbs I have used are basil, rosemary & thyme. Ginger is always my favorite because it give it an extra kick.
Ingredients:
1 cup of wild blueberries, fresh or frozen (regular are okay too)
½ cup of water
½ cup raw apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup of honey
½ tablespoon fresh grated ginger
Photos by Laurel Witt
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken pot pie has always been one of the meals I love since I was a kid. There is nostalgic feeling I get when I eat it that makes it so special. I also love that when I make a pot pie, I have tons of leftovers! Unfortunately when my husband is around there are always way less leftovers so i decided to make two pot pies!
Pies can be an intimidating dish to make but I have been making pies since I was a kid and have found that its really simple to make a good crust with the right recipe and tools!
for the Pie Crust
1 3/4 cup of Nutiva shortening (the best all natural shortening alternative I have found)
4 cups of GF Flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 egg
1/2 cup water
directions
This recipe makes enough crust for two pie so you can freeze half if you are planning to make just one pie.
Grab a large bowl and use a pastry cutter to combine the first four ingredients together. the dough will be very crumbly, in pea sized chunks. Add the vinegar, egg & water, combine with pastry cutter until ingredients are combined evenly. It takes a little time but your dough will cooperate eventually. If dough is too dry, add a little bit of water. If dough is too moist, add a little flour. I like to use a marble rolling pin & wax paper to help roll out the crust. If dough is sticking use flour to help it cooperate.
The filling for this recipe is super flexible. Honestly I usually just add in whatever extra veggies I have in my fridge or freezer at the moment. After thanksgiving I used leftover turkey instead of chicken. And I had a bunch of extra multicolored carrots this time so I threw those in. Thats one of the reasons I love chicken pot pies.
Directions
Add any uncooked veggies into a skillet and cook on medium. Once veggies are mostly cooked, add in the rest of the ingredients until combined evenly. Roll out crust for the top and bottom of the pie and add filling.
For the Pot Pie
3 cups shredded chicken
2 large carrots peeled & diced
1/3 chopped onion
1 cup peas
1 cup corn
1 cup broccoli
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup GF flour
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp thyme
FOr the LatTice crust
Roll out the top layer of dough and use a pizza cutter or knife to cut even strips. I like thick strips so I cut a total of 6 long strips for my lattice. Lay out your first three strips like the photo above, then add the center horizontal strip on top. Fold back the top & bottom horizontal strips and lay your second vertical strip. Unfold the top & bottom strips and fold back the middle strip. Lay the last vertical strip and unfold middle strip. If your strips hang over the edge cut them off at the edge and use your fingers to shape the crust however desired.
Brown Sugar Poptarts
Poptarts are one of my favorite treats and I have been wanting to make them myself for years. I’ve started seeing home made pop tarts being sold in coffee shops which has inspired me to make them. The chef that creates the baked goods at Rapha made a recipe that inspired my version below. This recipe is inspired by Lentine Alexis who creates all of the baked goods at Rapha Boulder.
We are flying to Amsterdam today and I thought how fun it would be to have home made pop tarts on the flight. Currently, I’m sitting in the airport because our flight was delayed. Crossing our fingers that there won’t be any more delays!
Ingredients
3 cups of flour( I like to use whole grain)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 tablespoons (or more) water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Filling
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons flour
1 egg, to brush on pastry before filling
Directions
Place dry ingredients in a food processor and blend. Incorporate butter, then add in water & apple cider vinegar. Pull dough out of food processor and kneed it in flour just a few times. Separate dough into two rectangles and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Roll out each rectangle separately and use a pizza cutter to cut straight equal rectangles. Each rectangle should make 8 smaller rectangles. Once all the rectangles are cut, place them onto the greased cookie sheet. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use a pastry brush to brush them with egg before adding any filling. Mix the filling ingredients together and add to one side of the pop tart. Place top layer of pop tarts on the bottom half. One each pop tart is put together use a fork to press the edges together. Brush egg on top of each pop tart and put in the oven for 20-25 min or until lightly browned. Pull out of the oven and enjoy!
Makes 8-10 poptarts.
Chicken Noodle Ramen
I love making Asian food and this recipe is one of the easiest recipes that I have made in a long time! I partnered with Kikkoman and they provided me this Chicken Noodle Ramen recipe. Head over there to grab the recipe!
I preferred to keep the cabbage out of the broth until right before I ate it. I also left out mushrooms and added a few more toppings!
What I Eat in a Day on Whole 30
It can be a challenge to figure out meals while you are on Whole 30 because so many food groups are completely cut. The good news is that once you get it a rhythm, it is super easy. There will always be some food prep but once you know what you are going to keep regularly in your kitchen, it gets so much easier to put meals together.
This week, I did a “What I Eat in a Day” on my instagram. If you missed it, I saved it to the highlights on my profile! Here are the recipes of the meals that I made.
Breakfast Acai Bowl
Ingredients:
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1/4 cup frozen mango
1 frozen banana
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 tsp chia seeds
1 cup almond milk (add more to make it creamier)
Toppings:
banana
apple
raspberries
blueberries
almond butter
unsweetened coconut flakes
cacao nibs
Directions: Place all the ingredients in a blender/food processor. It will be thicker than a smoothie so if you have a blender with a tamper, that makes it much easier. If the consistency is too thick, add more almond milk. Pour into a bowl and add your toppings.
Fancy Lunch Salad
Protein:
Poached Egg
Sausage
Directions: Cook the protein while preparing the other ingredients. Once protein is cooked, assemble your salad! The more toppings the better! Feel free to add your own! Top off with your favorite Whole 30 Salad dressing! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Spinach
cucumber
tomato
avocado
sweet potato
pumpkin seeds
the everything spice
cashews
Trader Joe’s Balsamic & Fig Dressing
Pad Thai
Toppings:
carrots
cilantro
green onion
lime slices
basil
bell peppers
cucumber
avocado
chopped cashews
Ingredients:
1lb chicken sliced thin
1 bag of shredded cabbage mix
2 carrots ribboned
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 clove of garlic minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce:
1 tablespoon almond butter
4 tablespoons coconut aminos
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp pepper flakes
1 clove minced garlic
Directions: Cook chicken with oil, balsamic vinegar, coconut aminos, ginger and garlic. Prepare toppings while you wait. Once chicken is cooked, turn the heat off and add cabbage mix and ribboned carrots. To prepare the sauce, add all ingredients to blender/food processor (if you have a mini food chopper that is easiest). Blend until smooth. If you prefer a thicker consistency add more almond butter. If you prefer a thinner consistency add more aminos or water.
Simple Green Smoothie
I love a bright green smoothie! Smoothie colors and beautiful food is really important to me (maybe that sounds silly but its the truth). When I get a bright green smoothie something inside me is extra happy!
I just ordered a juicer today! I am super excited to learn all about the juicing world. If you are an experienced juicer, i’d love your tips and recommendations!
Here is the super simple recipe!
1.5 cups of spinach
1 cup almond milk
1 banana
1 heaping spoonful almond butter
optional: chai seeds or extra almond butter for more protein!
Whole 30 Breakfast Skillet
I am starting week 2 of my Whole 30. This one has definitely not been an easy one for sure! Here is my favorite breakfast recipe!
1 sausage (Aidells Chicken Apple is Whole30)
1 egg
1/4 sweet potato
1/4 white potato
toppings: avocado & the everything seasoning
Optional: any other veggies you have in the fridge
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sauté sausage, potatoes and other vegetables while oven preheats. Once cooked, crack an egg in the middle and put skillet in the oven for 8-10 min. I have been cooking mine a little extra so the yoke isn’t runny, but its up to you! Top with avocado and The Everything Seasoning for extra flavor!
Tip: I roast a ton of potatoes ahead of time so that this meal is super quick.
Christmas Cookies I made this year
Making Christmas cookies is one of my favorite traditions during the holidays. This year I started with some of my favorite family recipes and substituted gluten free and dairy free ingredients. The four cookies I made this year were sugar cookies, peanut butter kiss cookies, Russian tea cakes/snowballs, and peanut butter no bake cookies. Here are the recipes that I created.
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup earth balance butter softened
2 eggs
1 cups gluten free flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
chocolate kisses
Mix wet & dry ingredients together separately, then combine. Scoop balls onto cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 min at 375 degrees.
Sugar Cookies
1 cup coconut oil
1 cup earth balance butter softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups gluten free flour
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
Cream butter & sugar, then the rest of the ingredients. Roll into balls and press into your desirable shape. Bake for 10-12 min at 350 degrees. For the icing I just used powdered sugar, almond milk and almond extract.
Almond Butter No Bake Cookies
4 cups of rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup honey, maple syrup or agave
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Melt coconut oil, almond butter, cacao and honey or other sweetener. Stir until smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Drop balls onto wax paper and then refrigerate until hard.
Russian Tea Cakes/Snowballs
1 cup earth balance butter softened
1/3 sugar
2 teaspoon water
2 cups gluten free flour
1 cup finely chopped nuts ( I used almonds but pecans are good too)
2-3 teaspoons of vanilla
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Cream butter & sugar, add the rest of the ingredients. Chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Then roll into balls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool briefly, then roll in powdered sugar.
Healthy Orange Julius
Lately I have been craving citrus which is very rare for me. I’ve never been a huge fan of orange juice but thats what the my body has been craving lately along with a few other random things like popcorn, burritos and mac & cheese.
The idea of an Orange Julius sounded amazing to me a few weeks ago but I didn’t want to add the raw egg or all the added sugar that is usually in the smoothie. I created this super healthy plant based smoothie that tastes just like the traditional Orange Julius. Let me know what you think of it. It definitely hit the spot for me!
2 cups of fresh squeezed orange juice (usually about 4-5 oranges)
1 tsp of orange zest
2 bananas
1 cup almond milk
1 T vanilla extract
5-6 ice cubes (depending on the thickness you want)
1 t agave nectar or maple syrup (optional for extra sweetness)
Makes 2 large smoothies
DF Mashed Potatoes
These are my go to mashed potatoes. I have tried a ton of dairy free recipes and this one is my favorite! Many people prefer golden potatoes to russet but I tried both types this year and I like russet best!
4lbs russet potatoes
1/4 cup DF butter( I use Earth Balance)
1/2 cup coconut milk (from the can)
1 clove garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Directions:
Peel and cut potatoes in fourths. Place potatoes in large pot of water, then boil. Once potatoes are tender, drain and put them in a mixer. I use a kitchen aid mixer but you can use many tools to mash potatoes. Add the rest of the ingredient to the bowl. Mix until desired texture. Add extra coconut milk if you want it creamier or extra garlic if you want to get more of that sour cream flavor. Serve warm.
You can make this recipe super quick if you just bake the potatoes in the oven and leave the skin on when mashing. It definitely changes the texture but if you are in a hurry then go for it!
Spatchcocked Thanksgiving Turkey
I first tried this method last year and it made my Thanksgiving Day so simple and low stress! This method can cook a juicy turkey in as little as 45 minutes!
Spatchcocking a turkey is the process of removing the backbone and flattening it onto a baking tray. It may seem a bit intimidating but it’s fairly easy to do, saves a lot of cook time and helps everything cook evenly.
Here is a quick video tutorial that will guide you through the process. I always cut my turkey along side a tutorial, it’s so helpful!
¼ cup salt
¼ cup finely grated orange zest.
1 tablespoon rosemary
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 12–14-lb. turkey(any bigger can e difficult to fit on a pan)
½ cup olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lay spatchcocked turkey skin side up on baking sheet. Heat oil, salt, rosemary, pepper and orange zest in a saucepan until sizzling. Use a brush to coat turkey with oil mixture, leave a little leftover for a second coating. Cook turkey for 30 min. Pull out turkey and add the second coating. Reduce temperate to 350 degrees and cook for 20 more minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees. Take turkey out of the oven and let cool.
Sources, Inspiration & Photos: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spatchcocked-turkey-with-anise-and-orange, https://www.spendwithpennies.com/spatchcock-turkey/#
The Everything Seasoning
Its just about that time of year for yummy soups and fall salads! This seasoning is something that I put on almost everything that I cook and that is why I call it the everything seasoning. It’s also my version of the everything bagel seasoning that Trader Joe’s sells. I like to make enough to fill a mason jar so it lasts me longer. I put this on soups, salads, avocado toast, meat & anything savory. Although there are only a few ingredients, this spice will change your life!
6 tsp dried minced garlic
6 tsp dried minced onion
2 tsp poppy seeds
6 tsp white sesame seeds
6 tsp black sesame seeds
4 tsp sea salt flakes
1/2 tsp turmeric
Nutritious Trail Mix
I have never been a fan of traditional trail mix. I’m not totally sure why but I think maybe I ate it too much as a kid and have been repulsed ever since. I recently found a unique type of trail mix at Whole Foods and was inspired to make my own. I didn’t measure out what i used but here are the ingredients:
Roasted Almonds
Pumpkin Seeds
Raisins
Hazelnuts
Sunflower Seeds
Cacao nibs
Almond Butter
Almond butter is so easy to make and I think it taste’s way better than store bought. I like the texture of my almond butter to be creamy but not so creamy that it gets stuck in my teeth and makes a mess. You can also add other ingredients if you want to flavor it however you want it! I’m gonna make an almond butter Nutella soon!
2 cups almonds (yes, it’s literally just almonds)
optional: Dates, cacao, nutmeg, cinnamon, coconut, roasted hazelnuts
Directions: Bake almonds in the oven for 9 minutes at 400 degrees. Let cool. Place in a powerful food processor or blender for 5-10 min or until desired texture.
Poached Egg & Sausage Bowl
handful of spinach
1 sausage (I use Aidells Chicken Apple Sausage)
a few sliced tomatoes
a quarter avocado
1 poached egg
optional: add pumpkin seeds & everything bagel seasoning for extra flavor & crunch.
Ginger Green Smoothie
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup water
1 T fresh ginger
juice from half of a lime
1 handful of kale
1 large handful of spinach
1 banana
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1/2 cup frozen mango
optional: add chia, flax, or hemp seeds for extra fiber
Makes 1 large smoothie