Well. Here we are. Back on the AIP diet.

As hard as this is to work in with a busy schedule, a career and a toddler, I am SO thanfkul to the holistic professionals who found out that this diet is SO healing and SO beneficial to calming our inflammation and auto-immune issues. And PRAISE THE LORD for meal prep. You NEED to be meal prepping. If you ever need help, reach out! I can talk to you about some easy tips. 

I've found for me, it's 100% needed to come back to this from time to time when I feel myself more sluggish, carrying excess water, inflamed or reacting more from cross-contamination. I haven't put many AIP recipes on the blog, because honestly, when I'm on AIP it means I'm not at my best and the energy for recipe creation and promotion usually isn't there. However, I am trying to turn a new leaf. 

I was so blessed in 2012 when this blog really started to take off because of the connections I was making with so many women, men and children who were needing to go gluten free, dairy free or soy free and it made my heart so happy to know I could provide safe and yummy recipes to those who needed them in their season or life of food restriction.

I want to make it a point to add more healing foods, more AIP options and more whole choices when it comes to entrees in 2019/2020. 

The baked goods are pretty and fun guys, but they have their place. And unfortunately their place isn't in my home or body right now. 

For this recipe, I've found it's hard to find organic ground chicken in the stores. If you invest in a meat grinder, you'll be able to grind higher quality poultry to make this recipe.  

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb organic ground chicken
• 1 medium uncooked sweet potato, finely grated (I peeled and cut it and put it in my Ninja)
• 2 Tbsp. grain-free flour (cassava, coconut, tigernut)
• 2 Tbsp avocado oil 
• 1/8 c. chopped chives
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp sea salt 

Optional: You could also add a small amount of grated apple, to make Chicken Apple Nuggets. 

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment. 
• Combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until well incorporated. 
• Wash hands and using your hands, roll meat and potato mixer into nugget shapes and place on baking sheet. (I needed two baking sheets to fit them all)
• Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
• Serve with AIP friendly guacamole or vegan AIP coconut sour cream.

Have you incorporated an AIP lifestyle? What health changes have you seen? 

If you haven't, leave any questions below and I'd be happy to assist you! It's hard, but so so so so so so so worth it! 

It's amazing how delicious something can become when you literally just throw things together.

Still under the weather, I've been scrambling to make hearty, healthy meals without having to hit the store in this windy, chilly weather. Enter my Teriyaki Chicken Apple Bowl. Which not only took literally less than 10 minutes to make, it was actually AMAZING and I suspect will be something I now crave on the regular.

Funny how that happens isn't it?

The sauteed spinach MAKES this bowl, as does the teriyaki drizzle. And if you're not into teriyaki sauce loaded with soy and sugar and all that bad stuff, you're in luck because this is a teriyaki sauce made from coconut aminos and is clean and delicious. 

I also suggest making a double batch of this, which the recipe below reflects, because...  leftovers. 
​

It's officially Fall. This fact means my palette begins to crave all the fall favorites. Soups, stews, turkey, sweet potatoes and all the traditional Thanksgiving-related fixings. However, living in Arizona, it's still reaching triple digits and it doesn't sound like the funnest afternoon to have my oven heating the house to temperatures that will melt us.

That's where my Thanksgiving-inspired salad comes in. This is one of my favorite go-to lunches right now. Super simple, crisp and cool, I still get to please my palette with falls favorite tastes. Juicy turkey breast? Check. Sweet, tart cranberries, check. And to top it off I pair this with a cool, savory side of bacon and sweet potato salad and boom, it's like Thanksgiving and summer made a love child.

A love child of crisp, cool, crunchy goodness that bursts with all the flavors of the holiday season. 

Ingredients:
Fresh turkey breast, shredded
1-2 C. Organic Romaine Lettuce
Steve's Paleo Goods Cranberries (no added sugar or corn syrup)

Toss & top with a cranberry vinaigrette or Apple Cider Vinegar & enjoy! 

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground turkey or beef (I used turkey)
2-3 large sweet potatoes
1 pack organic frozen peas and carrots
2 TBSP. Earth Balance soy-free, dairy-free butter or other healthy cooking fat for AIP
Minced Garlic
1/4 C. diced onions
Sea Salt to taste


Instructions:
Cook meat with minced garlic and sea salt over stove until browned, add peas, carrots and onions half way through until cooked through.

Cook sweet potatoes until soft, and blend in bowl with melted butter or healthy fat.  Place meat and veggie mix in a baking dish and smooth blended potatoes on top. Place in oven for 10 minutes, Allow to cool, serve with organic paleo ketchup (omit for AIP). Enjoy! 

Such a yummy and filling comfort food for fall. You CAN eat comfort foods without chemicals, gluten, sugar and a lot of fat. Put on comfy socks, kick up your feet on the porch, watch the leaves change and enjoy this stew with a mug of organic, sugar-free apple cider. 

Ingredients
Chuck Roast - 2 lbs
4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth (you can use beef broth, but all the ones I found contain yeast.)
4 Carrots (washed, peeled and chopped)
2 Stalks of Celery (washed and chopped)
Fresh herbs of choice
2 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into cubes)
I medium onion, chopped

Instructions
Brown the chuck roast in a pan with olive oil before placing in crock pot. Once browned, cut into cubes and brown a little longer until each side is slightly seared. Add to crockpot, place cut vegetables and herbs inside and mix. Pour broth on top, place the lid and cook on low heat for 10-12 hours. 

*you can cook this on high 5-6 hours, however the meat will not be as tender on this setting. I prefer to cook roasts on low so that it doesn't get chewy. 

INSTRUCTIONS
Use a slicing mechanism, or mandolin, that will magically make fettuccine just by pushing the zucchini through.

Boil a pot of water and add salt – add your “noodles” and cook for a minute – be sure not to overcook.  Remove and set into a pot of cold to stop the cooking process.

Then, heat a tablespoon of olive  oil in a large saute pan – throw in about 3 cloves of minced garlic, add in your freshly made "pasta", saute around until evenly coated – sprinkle with red pepper flakes (omit for AIP), and fresh basil leaves to taste.  Plate. Light healthy and delicious!

First, I have to talk about the salad the accompanied this dinner. I found a crisp organic arugula at Trader Joe's and tossed it with my apple-cider vinegar organic Paleo mayonnaise. I use it very sparingly but since "creamy" is a texture that is few and far between after saying goodbye to dairy over a year ago, this was a nice tangy, creamy treat. 

Ingredients:
4 turkey breast cutlets
3 organic carrots, cut into rounds
Earth Balance butter (soy-free, dairy free) or other healthy cooking fat
Thyme 
Sea Salt
16 oz. Arugula 
2 Tbs. Paleo Mayonnaise 

Instructions:
In a deep ceramic baking dish lay turkey cutlets along the bottom. Place 1 tsp of EB butter or cooking fat on each breast and place sliced carrots on and around the turkey. Season turkey and carrots with sea salt and thyme. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until turkey is fully cooked. Serve with a fresh bed of arugula tossed in your favorite dressing or paleo mayo. 

So, when I first met my husband he wanted to cook for me. On one of our first dates he made me a delicious meal known as a "foil dinner." It was chicken breast, veggies and gobs of butter wrapped in foil and baked in the oven then served with ketchup. It's a dish I missed since not only it was delicious but it reminds me of many early dinners in our relationship curled up in front of the fire or a movie.. so I improved upon the recipe and they are now enjoyed weekly in our home.

Instead of using aluminum foil as I am trying to detox metals from my system, I just use a ceramic baking dish. I still use the chicken breast and veggies, but instead of "gobs of dairy laden butter" I use olive oil, herbs and a small pat of dairy free butter on each breast for moisture. We also of course no longer use store brand ketchup because of the vinegar and sugar, I either serve it with fresh tomatoes or a wonderful Apple Cider Vinegar sugar-free ketchup I found at Sprouts which I will be reviewing later.

On with the recipe! PS. this serves two, so find someone who you like to share with ;) 

Ingredients:
2-4 chicken breasts (this also works great with turkey cutlets or pork chops)
two teaspoons Earth Balance soy-free, dairy-free butter or healthy cooking fat for AIP & Whole 30. 
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil 
olive oil
2 zucchini
2 ribs of celery
1 large fresh tomato (exclude for AIP)
sea salt


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a casserole baking dish place chicken breasts and drizzle olive oil on both. Add thyme, a pinch of sea salt, garlic powder and basil and any other seasonings you prefer. Oregano works great with turkey. Turn breasts over and apply olive oil and seasonings to the other side as well. 

Cut up zucchini into rounds, not too thin as they will cook down and chop celery. Add on top and around the chicken. Cook covered for 1 hour or until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Serve with cool fresh tomato.

*I've also cooked the tomato sliced on top for an italian taste and it came out wonderful. 
** If you are feeling like adding some starch to the dish sweet potatoes make a wonderful addition as well. Cut up two sweet potatoes and add them around the chicken similar to cooking a roast. 

I was really missing soup. As I got away from all "ready made foods" due to gluten, MSG, sugar, salts, chemicals and all of the other lovely things found in food today I found myself longing for comfort food. Then I got a bad cold in January and the need for soup increased, haha. Then I came up with a recipe that was not only delicious, but it soothed me like soup did when I was a child. So if you feel the sniffles coming on, make a pot of this delicious "homestyle" gluten-free chicken zoodle soup. 

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Earth Balance butter (substitute avocado or coconut oil for Whole 30)
4 carrots
2 celery ribs
8 cups chicken broth (I use Imagine Gluten Free, chicken or vegetable)
1 lb boneless, skinless  natural, organic, free range chicken breast, cubed
8 oz. of prepared zoodles (spiralize and blanch 2-3 zucchini until tender)
½ tsp sea salt
You may also add herbs of your choosing to give more flavor and color



DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, add butter. Wash celery and chop into bite size pieces. Add to saucepan and stir. Peel and chop carrots into bite size pieces. Stir. Sauté for 3 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, dice cooked chicken into bite size pieces. Add chicken broth and chicken. Cover and bring to a boil.

3. Add herbs and salt. Add prepared zoodles. Stir and serve!

INGREDIENTS
1 small spaghetti squash
15 large basil leaves
1 small clove garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tomato, diced

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and fibers. Place in a microwave safe dish and cover. Microwave 8-9 minutes. Remove from the microwave and scoop out flesh with a fork into a large bowl.

In a small blender combine basil, garlic, olive oil, salt and  pepper and puree until smooth.

Combine pesto with two cups spaghetti squash (save any remaining squash for another recipe). Add tomatoes and season with additional salt and pepper.