Creamy Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

Yesterdays cold and rainy weather called for a nice hot bowl of soup. I had tons of veggies I've been needing to use up before they went bad and of course my house always has sweet potatoes laying around so I decided to make sweet potato and carrot soup. This recipe turned out so dang good. Not to mention that between the potatoes, carrots, and other veggies with no added sugar or dairy products this soup is super clean eating and really nutritious!! I hope you give it a try because it is delicious and crazy easy to make!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion
1 cup celery
2 cups of baby carrots
3 sweet potatoes
3 cups organic chicken broth (or substitute of water)
3 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons organic Agave Nectar (or sub pure maple syrup)
salt and pepper to taste

 Directions:

Add olive oil to large Dutch oven pot set to medium heat. Chop onions, celery, and sweet potatoes (I leave skin on sweet potatoes for added nutritional value). Add onions and celery to pot and sauté for 5 minutes. Last minute add in nutmeg and cinnamon. Then add baby carrots and sweet potatoes with 3 cups of broth.

Bring broth to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and cover for 30 minutes. Once your veggies and potatoes are soft you can then use your hand stick blender to begin blending the soup to a nice creamy texture. If you don't have a hand stick blender you can transfer your soup out of your pot and into your normal blender to blend the soup. Last, add in your Agave nectar and salt and pepper to taste and give it one last blend.

 

 

 

That's it! Super easy and creamy sweet potato and carrot soup. I garnished my soup with toasted almonds, but you could also garnish with fresh chopped basil or parsley. I love the nutty and sweet flavor of this soup. It is a must try!!

 

 

 

 

-Rach

Paleo Caveman Bars

Paleo Caveman Bars

My friends Josh and Janae introduced me to these bars and I just love them!  I added a little twist to the recipe by adding Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips and adding Coconut Butter. Mainly because I love those two things so why not?  These bars are super easy to make and are great to keep in the freezer when you need a little yummy snack!  

Ingredients:

1 cup pecans

1/2 cup walnuts

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup almond butter...

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup coconut butter (if you don't have just use coconut oil 1/2 cup in all)

1/2 cup almond meal/flour

2 tbs vanilla extract

2 tbs organic, natural honey

1/4 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

 

Spread the nuts on a foil lined baking sheet and toast until brown. Making sure you don't burn them. 

Microwave coconut butter and coconut oil until warm and you can stir together then add in the almond butter. Stir together.  Add vanilla and honey to mixture. 

When nuts are done, blend until coarsely chopped in blender or food processor.  Set aside to cool. 

Add the coarse ground nuts to the almond butter mixture and mix thoroughly.  Add almond meal/flour and shredded coconut to mixture and then fold in the Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips. 

Using a freezer safe container, spread the mixture evenly into the pan with a spatula. 

Freeze for 25 min. Pull out and cut into squares. 

Make sure bars remain frozen until you eat them.

Enjoy!

-Jessica 

Honey Apple Balsamic Dressing

I eat salads often (daily) so sometime I have to change it up to keep my taste buds happy! Today I made a delish salad with heirloom tomatoes, apple, goat cheese, pistachios, slivered almonds, onions, and BBQ chicken! I spiced it up with a dressing you must try!

Honey Apple Balsamic Dressing:

Serves 2 

2 Tbl olive oil

2 Tbl balsamic vinegar 

2 Tbl apple cider vineger 

2 Tbl honey 

Salt and pepper 

Them mix well and drizzle over your salad! See how easy and fast it is to make a healthy dressing!!!

Enjoy- Rachel 

Barbecue Baby Back Ribs

Another easy recipe that will make the whole family happy! My boys and husband loved these tender and savory ribs. So much so that they barely left many any to eat after coming home from my workout last night. Those stinkers!  I savors every bite! Here is what you need to do.  I made my favorite gluten free barbecue sauce but you could use any of  your favorite barbecues sauces. Just make sure you have plenty of it because these ribs are going to be dredged in it. 

Barbecue Sauce:

• 1/2 cup gluten free ketchup
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar or (brown sugar)
• 1/4 cup gluten-free Worcestershire sauce 
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika  

Ribs:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Prepare ribs. Place ribs on tinfoil on baking sheet. Make sure there is enough tinfoil so that you can cover and seal the ribs. You can either pit on your favorite dry run or you can just salt and pepper. 

Then slather on your barbecue sauce on both sides of the ribs.  Make sure you are generous with the sauce! You want these ribs to be moist and tender. 

Then seal the tinfoil at the top. 

For better ribs you can let these marinate in the fridge for a few hours. Then place the baking sheet with the foiled ribs in the oven for two hours. Open the tinfoil for the last 10 minutes of bake time! Then serve with your favorite side!! Easy and delicious!! 

Enjoy- Rachel 

Honey Walnut Scallops

Our friends took my husband and I out to dinner about a month ago and I had scallops for dinner. They were so good that I seriously haven't stopped thinking about them. So I decided I would just make them myself.  I've been seeing recipes on the Internet for honey walnut shrimp which my husband and I both love.  So I revamped this recipe so I could eat the yummy scallops guilt free!! This recipe has so many great things About it that I can't hardly wait to make it again.  For example, it literally took me 8 minutes to make this dinner!! Seriously how can you beat that! Or how about you only need 5 ingredients for this entire recipe! Or that it is absolutely delicious and divine and will melt In your mouth leaving you wanting more. Yep! It is fantastic and I LOVED it! Ok.  So enough of my rambling. Here is the deal. If you don't like scallops you can always make this with shrimp. You could also do shrimp and scallops together! You could also double the sauce recipe so that you can pour extra sauce over any vegetable, quinoa, or brown rice if you want to add to your plate!! Yum!!!! Now go make this recipe!!! 

For sauce: 

3 Tbl. Butter (ghee)

3 Tbl. Honey

3/4 Cup Coconut Cream

1/2 Walnut Pieces 

Salt & pepper 

Melt butter and coconut cream then wisk in honey. 

Salt and pepper and then add in walnut pieces. 

Keep warm while you pan sear your scallops. Easy right!!!?

Scallops: 

1 lb scallops 

3 Tbl butter or (ghee)

Salt & pepper

Add the butter to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops. Once the butter is hot gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. 

Sear the scallops for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. 

 

Serve immediately.  Pour you honey walnut sauce over the pan seared scallops and then indulge!! Serve over quinoa or brown rice or with a side of veggies. 

Enjoy- Rachel

Paleo Peppermint Mound Cup

These were literally an experiment gone right!  I've been looking at all kinds of different blogs and gathering ideas. And this is what I came up with. I had to ask for help on Instagram for a name because I didn't even know what to call it.   So shout out to @savannahfitgirl08 on Instagram for the name inspiration.  You kinda nailed it girl!  So here they are.. My Paleo Dessert experiment that turned out to be amazing!!  This recipe only make 5 cups so double it if your going to need more. Also these must be kept in the freezer for the coconut cream layer to stay in tact. I just put them in zip lock baggies to pull out as I feel the need for a yummy treat.  Ok for the recipe your going to need the silicone muffin cups. If you don't have them go to Bed Bath & Beyond or order some online. I promise you won't hate me. They are so amazing and easy to clean. You will use them for all your muffin recipes from here on out. Word!!  Here it goes!

What you need... 

1/2 cup of Almond Meal

2 Tbsp Cocoa 

1 1/2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

1 tsp Honey

3 Tbsp Chopped nuts (use your favorite I used Walnuts this time)

1/4 tsp Peppermint Extract

1/2 cup Coconut Cream

2 ounces 85% or higher Dark Chocolate

5 Silicone muffin cups

For the bottom crust take the almond meal, coconut oil, Cocoa, honey and mix together. Add the chopped nuts. The mixture should be sticky enough to stay together but not too wet or dry.  Add a tad oil or almond meal if you need to adjust the consistency. 

Now take a spoon and press the mixture into the bottom of the 5 cups.  

Now place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes or until hard. Now take your coconut cream and mix in the peppermint extract. Then pour evenly into all 5 cups. Then return to freezer again. At least 10 minutes. Because the Coconut cream has to harden completly. 

Now start melting your dark chocolate in the microwave. Once it's melted and the coconut cream is completly hard pour the dark chocolate over the coconut and return to the freezer.  Give them awhile in the fridge to set up and when they are ready pull them out and peel away the cup from the sillicone. Eat one. Only one.  Or 5. Just kidding. Place the extras in ziplocks and place back into the freezer. Pull one out as you feel the need for a dessert. Or breakfast or lunch. Or whatever floats your boat.  

-Jessica

Paleo Marinara Meat Sauce over Spaghetti Squash

Ok people this one is way to easy and yummy to not try.  I like to make it at the beginning of the week and have the leftovers for lunch. Plus we all know that spaghetti sauce gets better as it sits in the fridge.  So go buy yourself a spaghetti squash and make this easy dinner!  

What you will need...

1lb 96% ground beef

1 yellow onion

1 Jar of Cucina Antica Marinara Sauce (I use this one because it is clean no additives or sugar I found this at Lassens)

1 Spaghetti Squash

Start of by chopping up your onion. Throw the chopped onion and ground beef in a pan on medium heat. 

Cook onion and ground beef till done then drain the fat. Put onion and ground beef back in pan and return to heat. Open your jar of Marinara

And pour into pan with beef and stir well.  Leave on low heat while you cook your spaghetti squash. 

Now this is the hardest part of this recipe. Take a BIG knife and cut the spaghetti squash in half. Please use caution because I'm not kidding that squash is a mother f-er to cut in half. Thank God I do Crossfit.  Once you get it cut in half use a spoon to remove the seeds from the inside 

Now take a 13 by 9 inch dish. Put about 1/4 inch water in the bottom and lay the squash face down in the pan

Now place in microwave for about 20 minutes or until done. You should be able to easily insert a knife through the back of the squash when it's done. Now flip over and let cool for about 5 minutes. Then your going to take a fork and just start scraping out the inside of the squash. It basically shreds and looks like little noodles. Take a heaping portion of that squash and go put some meat sauce over it and there you go. Spaghetti. Paleo style. I told you it was easy. You can thank me later.

-Jessica