Ground Elk Jerky

This Weekend is Memorial Day weekend and I got so many texts and messages from my challengers on their concerns of blowing their healthy eating habits at campouts and BBQ's. On Friday I spent my day doing food prep of my own and helping a fellow challenger get her snacks together as well. I made two batches of jerky and "wheat thins", cut up fruit and veggies for snacking. Below you will see the newest version of jerky, a ground Elk version. My family particularly liked this version as it has a softer consistency and "doesn't get stuck in my teeth."

Ground Elk Jerky:

• 1 lb. ground elk
• Fresh herb mix (mine was, thyme, rosemary and chives)
• red pepper flakes
• sea salt

Mix ground elk in mixing bowl with herbs, sea salt and red pepper flakes with your hands until well combined. Using the plastic solid rack of your food dehydrator spread the mixture evenly. Place in dehydrator for 5 1/2-6 hrs. on 160 degrees. If you do not have a dehydrator spread thinly on baking sheet. Place in oven at 150 degrees for 6 hrs. When finished drying in either dehydrator or oven use pizza cutter to slice in to strips. Store in airtight container.

Turkey Meatball "Stroganoff"

Good Morning,
Last night for Dinner I made one of my husband's favorite meals but made it completely clean. It does has a bit of dairy in the way of a hard cheese in the meatballs, but not much. This meal was packed full of flavor and he even took the leftovers on the boat this morning, fishing with the guys.

Meatballs:

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 2 gloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary chopped
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
• Himalayan Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup Chicken Broth

Pre-heat oven 375 degrees. Saute the onions, garlic and rosemary in the coconut oil until translucent. Set aside to cool. In a bowl mix the meat, egg, flour, cheese, cooled onion mixture and salt and pepper. Mix with your hands and form meatballs. In a non-stick skillet add meatballs, brown on all sides. Add chicken broth to pan. Place in your pre-heated oven. Finish cooking about 15 mins.

Mushroom Sauce:

• 5-6 mushrooms
• 1T of butter
•  1/4 red onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 cup of Chicken Broth
• 1/4 cup of coconut milk
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 tsp of fresh thyme
• Himalayan Salt and Pepper to taste

Saute onions and garlic in butter until translucent. Add mushrooms. Cook until browned. Do not salt and pepper mushrooms until they have browned. Add chicken broth and let simmer 5-6 mins. Finish with the coconut milk to give a creamy consistency.

Serve mushrooms and meatballs over ancient grains such as quinoa.

Fresh Fruit Posicles

On Mother's Day Alicea made me a beautiful healthy meal and dessert. Below is the beautiful dessert she made for me. We have mixed berry popsicles. It was the perfect sweet to the end of our meal.

 

Popsicles

• Popsicle Molds
• or use paper cups and popsicle sticks

Ingredients

• Fresh or Frozen Fruit
• Coconut Water

Directions

Fill popsicle molds (or cups if using) 3/4 way full of fruit of choice. Pour coconut water into molds and fill the rest of the way. Place molds in freezer. Allow popsicles to freeze completely before serving, about 5-8 hours. Once your popsicles are ready to serve, run the bottom of the popsicle molds under warm water to help release them from the molds.

 

You can use any variety of fruit. The process is really the recipe. Enjoy!

 

Mother's Day Brunch

Good Morning All,

I am getting ready to go out of town a few days on business. I have my bags packed, my snacks portioned and my shakeology packets and shaker cups so I am ready for success. I wanted to share before I left a beautiful brunch that my daughter made for me yesterday. Not only did she make me brunch so I wouldn't have to cook on Mother's Day but she used all my healthy recipes. Now this is quite a success as it is a standing joke in my household how my oldest daughter can burn anything and has no interest in cooking and it has been a huge goal of mine the last few months to get her used to continuing her healthy lifestyle without mom's help. Well she proved that she can not only cook and she has been listening to me and cooked a beautiful healthy yummy meal.

Crustless Broccoli Bacon Quiche

• 1 cup egg whites
• 3 pieces bacon chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cooked broccoli, chopped finely
• salt, pepper to taste

Cook bacon until crisp and chop in to small pieces. Use leftover broccoli (on any veggies) cooked and chopped finely. Spray and casserole dish with coconut oil. Take whipped egg whites, bacon and broccoli and place in dish. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until eggs are set and are a golden brown, approximately 30-40 mins.

You can always add cheese to this. She just didn't as she knows mom doesn't do dairy.

Watermelon and Cucumber Mint Salad

• Half a small seedless watermelon, balled
• 1 English Cucumber sliced thin
• mint leaves chopped
• Drizzle of basalmic vinegar
• 1/4 cup Fresh lime juice

Mix all ingredients together. Salad is best after it has been allowed to marinate together a couple of hours.

Hope you enjoy this brunch as much as I did.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

One of my families favorite meals is to have homemade Chinese. In Mt. Shasta we know longer have our favorite place so I have gone to making it for us. Below is a Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wrap that I often entertain with.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

4-5 chicken thighs-chopped
3T Coconut Aminos
1 tsp coconut oil
1 red onion
1 garlic-minced
1 zucchini diced
4-6 mushrooms diced
1 handful broccoli slaw mix
1 tsp ginger-minced
1 tsp sesame oil
1 cup chicken broth

1 head butter lettuce

Saute ginger, onion and garlic in coconut oil.   Add chicken cook thoroughly. Add veggies and cook until tender. Add chicken broth, coconut aminos and sesame oil. Reduce by half to make thick sauce. Serve the chicken mixture in lettuce leaves.

Shakeology Ice Cream

I have been extremely fortunate that I do not have much of a sweet tooth but every once in a while it does happen where I want something sweet. Usually I have a dark chocolate bar sitting in the freezer and I will take a square off and I am all good. But as I searched through my house for my stash, realizing some one had taken my last square I thought I would just have to go without and started actually contemplating the kids bucket of leftover Halloween candy. Luckily I saw the packet of chocolate Shakeology and took to Pinterest.

Chocolate Shakeology Ice Cream! What a lifesaver. This stuff is great and so easy to make.

Chocolate Shakeology Ice Cream:

• 1 packet Chocolate Shakeology (mine is vegan)
• 1 cup of ice
• Unsweetened Coconut Milk

Put all ingredients in to your blender.  Blend together until creamy and smooth. Place in freezer for an hour. Enjoy!!!

For me this was way more than I could indulge in one sitting so SCORE! I have more for next time.

Busy Busy Time of Year-Homemade Chinese Healthy Take Out

I have been silent a few days due to busy time of year and being in the kitchen non stop. I was in the process of prepping for my senior's very last prom. The last two years I have catered the event. Since I was busy making wontons a request the seniors asked for as I made them last year I treated my family to a homemade healthier version of Chinese take out this week as well.


Chinese Take Out Dinner:

Almond Chicken:

• 1 T coconut oil
• 3 Cloves Garlic-minced
• 1/2 onion-diced
• 1 T Ginger-minced
• 2 lbs. Chicken Thighs - cubed
• 2 cups broccoli-chopped
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 T Almond Butter
• 1/4 cup Coconut Aminos  

Heat oil over medium heat in a large deep skillet or wok. Add onion, garlic and ginger. Saute together. Add chicken and cook through. Add almonds combine together. Add the broth, coconut aminos and almond. Cook for a couple minute to create sauce. Lastly add the broccoli. Do not overcook. Keep broccoli bright in color and crisp. Serve either as one of your sides or over rice.

Cauliflower Fried Rice:

• 1 head Caulifower
• 2 T Coconut Oil
• 1/4 cup Onion
• 1 clove garlic-minced
• 1/2 tsp Fish Sauce
• 2 T Coconut Aminos
• Sea Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 cup Shredded Carrots
• 1/4 cup Green Onion-chopped

Cut your cauliflower in to small enough chunks to fit in your food processer. In the food processor grind your cauliflower in to "rice".
In the large skillet or wok on medium high heat place your half your oil, onion, garlic and ginger and sauté. Add your shredded carrots for 2-3 mins. Take out of skillet. Add your eggs to pan and scramble your eggs. Add your eggs to your vegetable mix on the side. Add the other half of your oil and your riced cauliflower salt and pepper. Crisp up your cauliflower in the hot pan. Add your vegetable and egg mix back to the pan. Toss together. Add your aminos and your fish sauce and combine. Serve with your Almond Chicken.

Baked Wontons:

• 1/2 lb. ground turkey
• 1 T Coconut Oil
• 1/4 c red onion- diced, small
• 1 clove garlic- minced
• 1 tsp crushed ginger
• 1/2 small package broccoli slaw
• 1 T Coconut Aminos
• 1 package wonton wrappers
• small amount of water (in dish)

Filling:
In large skillet heat oil and sauté onion, garlic and ginger. Add ground turkey. Mash your ground turkey down with a potato masher to break up all small pieces. Add aminos and cook turkey all the way through on medium heat 15-20 mins. To finish the filling add the broccoli slaw. Do not over cook. Just wilt. Let the filling cool. (I often make way ahead)

Wonton: Pre-Heat Oven 350 degrees
Set up your station. Wontons, water, filling, baking sheet.
On the back of the wonton package you can see how to fold in to triangle or you can make "purses" by squeezing them together.

Place your filling in the center of each wonton and either squeeze in to purses or fold in to triangles. Use the water to seal the wontons.

Place whole baking sheet of finished wontons in oven. Bake instead of frying until browned approximately 20-25 mins. Enjoy with your Almond Chicken and Rice.