Alfredo  is something I have been craving since going dairy-free in 2012. I haven't found a substitute or recipe that satisfied my in almost TEN years.

For a while, a local restaurant had a vegan alfredo that was AMAZING and I was in cream sauce heaven. That was until they decided to discontinue it from the menu, leaving me longing once more. 

I finally got into the kitchen with Grey and together we made this creamy, cheesey, nut-based sauce that was EASY and is now an Italian food staple on our menu. 

*I have had a lot of readers who can't do cashew or nuts and you CAN make this with JUST coconut cream and dairy-free milk. The taste is sweeter than I prefer but it's still creamy and delicious. Always feel free to comment with substitution ideas and I'll get back to you.

This one was the closest to a traditional alfredo when I tried multiple recipes in the kitchen, so I decided to share the cashew based cream sauce. 

​Bon appetite! 

Ingredients
​

• 12 ounces gluten-free fettuccini noodles
• 1 chicken breast, cooked and cut up into bite sized pieces
• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, unsalted
• 1-2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
• 1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups unsweetened dairy-free milk
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (more for a cheesier/stronger flavor)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (add more for saltier sauce)

​
Directions

• Cook and chop one chicken breast. Keep warm until sauce and pasta are ready.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain, then add it back to the pot and cover until the sauce is done.
• Boil 4 cups of water and pour over cashews. Soak 5-10 minutes. (Do not skip this step! If they aren't soaked or soaked long enough your sauce won't be as creamy!) 
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, until fragrant and the onion is translucent.
• Drain the cashews and discard the soaking water. Add them to a blender (I use the Ninja) along with onions, garlic, unsweetened dairy-free milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and salt.
• Blend until very smooth.
• Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir. If the noodles are still hot, serve immediately. 
• If the dish needs a warm up, cook when combined over low heat until ready to serve. 

What do you get when you mix the renewed energy of your second trimester and a life of still being on quarantine because of Pandemic 2020? 

A lot of time in the kitchen.

While we are missing our friends and our outing spots something fierce, it's been fun experimenting with recipes I've had in the back of my mind for a long time now. 

We needed something hearty and filling for dinner last night after a day spent hiking and playing in the sun, so I whipped up these Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas and they were a hit with the WHOLE family.

​Even my preschooler asked for seconds!

With everything having been closed for so long (and with so much still closed), my little guy and I took to a nearby small hike early in the morning before the heat really kicked in and it was exactly what our hearts, souls and bodies needed. We had so much fun and it made him feel so proud to lead the way and make it all the way to the top. 

After a morning hike and lunch smoothies, we played in the sprinklers and sunshine until almost dinner time when I started to prep the enchiladas.

These are so simple to make and I believe my total time in the kitchen was around 40 minutes. We came in around 4 and we were seated and eating by 5. So nice. 

You can serve these alone (we did, with just a side of sliced avocado) - or to make a bigger meal you can add in some jalapeno cornbread, Mexican corn, taco salad or a nice Spanish rice. 

They are also delicious re-heated! We enjoyed them for lunch the next day as well with a nice sparkling water. 

Ingredients

• 2 C cooked and shredded chicken breast (i put two cooked chicken breasts in my Ninja blender for a few seconds, so easy!)
• 8-10 Gluten Free Tortillas (I used GF Mission for these, but you can use Cassava or Coconut Flour tortillas to make these grain free as well. You can also make homemade GF tortillas, my recipe is here.) 
• 2 C. vegan shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3 TBSP. vegan butter (I use soy-free Earth Balance)
• 3 TBSP. gluten-free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1)
• 2 C. vegetable broth  
• 1 C. vegan sour cream
• 4 oz. organic diced green chiles
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking pan with avocado or olive oil spray. 
• In a medium bowl, mix shredded chicken and 1 C of the vegan mozzarella and add in salt and pepper. 
• Fill your tortillas with the chicken and cheese mixture, roll and place in baking pan. 
• In a small sauce pan, melt your butter. 
• Once melted, add your flour and whisk until warm and bubbling.
• Add in your broth and mix well. 
• Add in sour cream and green chiles and mix until well combined.
• Pour your warm sauce mixture over the tortillas. 
• Top with 1 C. vegan cheese.
• Bake for 20 minutes and serve warm! 

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! 

This summer we are alllllllll about the bowl. 

Healthy grains, veggies, fruits, herbs and protein make up well-rounded meals that are so easy to throw together.

This can be found almost every week on our meal plan as it's surprisingly a hit with our toddler too. He gobbles it right up! 

Ooey-gooey and super crisp all at once, the grilled chicken cheese melt of my Hollywood diner day yesteryear's was a flavor I still craved post diet change. 

After I began to include a little yeast back in my diet, after 7 years without any, I found a few breads that I like to include from time to time in my lunch rotation. My favorite brands are listed below with the recipe. 

This gluten-free, dairy-free rendition is as flavorful as I remember the traditional nosh being and it's a craveable home menu item FOR SURE. 

I am having a winter love affair with bowls of all kinds. From my dimensional breakfast bowls like this one, to my daily lunch bowls that satisfy the deepest hunger of a breastfeeding mama I can't get enough.

As we continue to host our Friday Night Dinners, this past week my hubs and I were running late and pretty tired after a long week of a healing baby so Mr. Charming and our friend got Chipotle. Instead of getting one of their bowls, I decided to make my own for more options. 

Below is how I make my spicy, savory, ultra flavorful Chicken Burrito Bowl. So many textures, so many nuances of spice - a craveable must-have for your meal plan arsenal. 

Think of the possibilities you could incorporate. You could omit the beans and rice, add salsa and more veggies to make it Whole 30 and Paleo friendly. Swap out the sauce for a creamy cashew cheese. To make it vegan, lose the mayo and chicken and add bell peppers and spiced tofu. 

That's what I love most about bowls, the versatility. 

If you try it, let me know how YOU made it your own! 

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. 
​

This. Pasta. Is. Melt. In. Your. Mouth. Delicious. 

And I still can't believe I made a sauce oh so creamy that you'd swear there's no way it's dairy free.

But it is TOTALLY dairy-free guys. 

Mr. Charming has been craving alfredo sauce lately. #SadPanda for Mandi. And my eighth month of pregnancy is bringing about AWESOME heartburn so tomato sauce is an enemy of mine at the moment. So what's a girl to do when she wants pasta night? Create something wonderful of course. 

Chicken Apple Sausage has also been a spring staple in our meals and with baby cravings greens, so have crisp asparagus spears. 

The recipe for the Sweet Onion Cream Sauce is super easy and takes no time at all. Enjoy! 

Ingredients: 
2 TBSP. Olive Oil 
1/3 Sweet Onion, diced (to cut the sweetness, use a white onion)
1 c. Cooked and Chopped Asparagus Stalks. (My video on cooking asparagus in under five minutes) 
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
2 TBSP. Tapioca Starch
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
1 1/2 C. Dairy-Free Coconut Culinary Milk (my secret in this is that I use the So Delicious Plain Coconut Coffee Creamer instead, but either works) 
1 TBSP. Lemon Juice 
Black Pepper To Taste 
1 c. Gluten Free Penne
1 Aidells Apple Chicken Sausage 


Directions: 
Cook pasta to package directions, drain and set aside. 

Heat a medium-large skillet over medium-high and cook diced onion and garlic until translucent. 

Add 1/2 c. of coconut creamer or culinary milk to a bowl and whisk together with the tapioca starch. 

Add 1 C. of the remaining coconut cream or culinary milk to the pan with the garlic and onions, mixing in the starch/cream mixture to thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

While the sauce is thickening cook your sausage to desired doneness and cut into coins. 

Once the desired thickness has been reached, turn the heat to low and add lemon juice and asparagus. 

Toss the sauce with the pasta and sausage and serve hot. 

So delicious guys. So, so delicious. 
​

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyNutrishDish #CollectiveBias

Spring is in the air and that means time outdoors with the family + crisp, cool recipes.

​Our Miniature Schnauzer Charlie adores this time of year because he knows it means days at the dog park, road trips around the state and exploring the backyard to his little hearts content. I'm also enjoying the slower pace of spring as we are wrapping an issue of the magazine and summer will be a more leisurely time to play with the pups and nest to get ready for baby. 

After spending an early morning at a local farm with the hubs perusing delicious goodies, it was time to return home for lunch and naps with the pup.

Many of you have been asking me, that when I'm not making Charlie's food from scratch, what I feed him. There are many seasons of life where one may not have the resources, the time or the funds to make homemade dog food to keep on hand. It's important to know what brand to trust to make sure your fur babies are getting the best, in not only flavor and texture, but in nutritional value.  It's a delicate balance to ensure they're getting all of what they need. 

We chose the DISH from Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® dry dog food line because, like we do, she uses whole ingredients in her recipes. Our pups are family to us and it's important, knowing what I do about food and what it can do for our bodies, that they also get the best of the best. It's formulated for all size dogs too, which makes it a match for our 13 year old senior lab as well. 

I've been a fan of Rachael's for many years now, the heart she has for dogs and the quality of her product lines. Having my dogs on a wheat and corn free diet (like mama, like pups) I was ecstatic to see this new product emerge. Also free of soy, gluten, by-product, fillers or preservatives, I feel confident in knowing it's a food that can grow with him as he grows from puppy into a little man and into his senior years. 

Once the pup was fed, it was time to whip up something for me and the hubs. With Sunday being our meal prep and plan for the week day, I wanted something cool, quick and easy. So I took cues from Charlie's decadent dish, the DISH Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe with Veggies & Fruit, to create the recipe below for my Spring Chicken Salad.

Using some of the same whole ingredients founds in Charlie's nosh - green apples, cranberries and chicken became the stars of our lunchtime fare. Serving it with my favorite gluten free brown rice crackers gave us the whole grains needed to round out our protein packed meal. 

This salad is cool and refreshing and serves 2. The cranberries offer a welcome sweetness while the tart apple and spring greens lend a nice crunch. 

It was the perfect compliment to the refreshing homemade lemonade we picked up at the farm this morning and I felt good knowing Charlie was enjoying a meal that was also packed with vitamins and minerals that his little energetic, growing body needs. 

If you are wanting to make the switch or want to try DISH from Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® remember to gradually introduce the food by incorporating it into your current dog food over the course of 7-10 days. Slowly replace your dog’s current food with DISH until it’s completely switched over. 

We found it at Target and it was simple to find, located in the Pet Supply and Dog Food section of the store. Many stores carry it, and you can check the store locator for a store near you. 

Charlie adores this food and gets excited for mealtime, which shows me it's an authentic win in our household. 

​And for those of you who know my heart for dogs, Rachael’s personal proceeds are given to Rachael’s Rescue, an organization that was created to help shelter pets in need. She has donated over $10M to date towards food, medical supplies and treatments for these unfortunate animals. A win/win for my dogs and those without a home. 
​

Have you tried DISH from Rachael Ray™ Nutrish®?  Or, do you have an adorable photo of your pup to share with me? Leave it in the comments below or contact me. Seriously can never have enough cute dog photos on the internet in my opinion. 

Do you have a favorite quick and easy go-to spring salad recipe? I'd love to try + taste! Share below!

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!