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 

Lemon Garlic Caper Sauce for fish

Lemon Garlic Caper Sauce for fish, shrimp or scallops. 

This was a really yummy sauce if you like Capers. It's easy to make and will go well with probably most seafood. Adds a little extra flavor to your dish without adding too much. 

What you need...

-Fish (I used AlskanCod)

-3 Tbsp Ghee

-2 Tbsp Olive Oil

-1 small Shallot minced

-3 Garlic Cloves minced 

-1Tbsp Capers rinsed

-Juice of 1 lemon 

In a sauce pan add oil, ghee mince garlic and mince shallot. Cook on low/medium heat for around 5-7 minutes to let the garlic and shallots cook down some.  Bring to a boil and let sauce thicker some and then take heat down to low. 

Add juice of lemon and Capers that have already been rinsed. Cook on low for a few more minutes to let the flavors fuze together.  Serve over your fish. 

Enjoy!

-Jessica 

Balance.. Finding ways to keep everything balanced

I've been on a three week strict Paleo Cleanse. After the holidays my hair started falling out and it just kept getting worse. I ate bad the week of Christmas but I cleaned up my diet shortly afterwards and I started feeling better immediately but my hair just wouldn't stop falling out. So my first thought was I wasn't eating clean enough and I need to do a three week cleanse of no dairy or sugar (meaning no chocolate 😒).  So I did it.  And it was no fun.  My meals were super boring like chicken and broccoli. I didn't have anything fun to post and that made me sad. On the last day of my cleanse my hair was still falling out. It occurred to me that maybe for once this issue had to do with stress in my life and not my auto immune disease Hashimoto's.  So I decided to start a de-stressing process which included introducing chocolate and red wine back into my diet and adding yoga once a week on top of my Crossfit work outs.  The day after my cleanse ended we left for a trip to Catalina that was already planned. I took my running shoes and swore to myself I would get a good run in both days.  I got up both mornings ran stairs and ran up and down those hilly little Catalina streets. And on the first night I cut loose had some drinks and danced and even twerked (yes I twerk, and yes I can twerk good ask my sisters 😉).  I came home feeling like I truly had a great time and feeling like I learned a valuable lesson. And that lesson was this.. BALANCE. It's one of the 3 words Rachel and I have made our life Philosphy. And yet I still struggle with it.  I'm human I know. But I had been letting the stress of my work, the stress of always trying to eat so clean, the stress of making sure to get my workouts in and all the other stresses of life, take over me and in return I lost my balance.  The day I got to Catalina it occurred to me what was going on with my body. My body was telling me something and I wasn't listening instead I took the stress to a whole new level by trying to deprive myself of the things I love most.  I feel like a idiot. But that's exactly what happened. And crazy thing is as soon as I acknowledged to myself what the problem was it was like each morning when I washed my hair there was Less hair in my hands. It's still not back to normal but let me tell you there's a considerable difference.  So I guess why I'm sharing this with our followers is because I want you to know how human I am and how I try to live my life healthy happy and balanced but even I fall off the bandwagon and screw shit up. The awesome thing is that everyday we have a tomorrow to get back on that band wagon and straighten things back out. So that's what I'm doing. I'm having more fun, eating good but allowing myself indulgences and finding new ways to keep my stress at bay. I hope you too can find what makes and keeps you healthy happy and balanced. 

💜-Jess

A "Happy" song to get you through your day!

http://youtu.be/y6Sxv-sUYtM

Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower Rice

This is super easy and a great side dish for most meals. I've had a couple people ask me about how to make it so I figured it was time to show you guys. This is also  the method you use when your making the cauliflower rice for the pizza crust. So all you need is a head of Cauliflower. From there you can add anything you want to it to spice it up. Cauliflower is one of those things that has such a mild flavor That you can really get creative and add spices or herbs or different veggies to it. Also when you add the oil to sauté the Cauliflower Rice use your oils that are infused with Garlic or whatever you might have for added flavor. I always use a ton of garlic as I am in love with it. This time I used

Head Cauliflower 

1 small can Diced Green Chillies

1 Tbsp Black Truffle Olive Oil

6 Cloves of Garlic Minced

Sea Salt (quite a bit)

And green onions to top it off

So take your cauliflower and put a small handful into your blender at a time and pulse it until it looks like rice. Do this with the whole head using small handfuls. If you use to much cauliflower at a time it won't quite rice up. 

Now add the cauliflower and Olive oil to a pan and turn on to medium heat. Add your garlic and sauté for a few minutes letting some of the water in the cauliflower cook out. This could take a little while. Now add your Sea Salt and can of diced green chilles or any other spices you might want. Keep sautéing and pushing the rice around in the pan. Once it's turned slightly brown and has a rice like texture it is done. You want most of the water to cook put so this might take a little while just be careful not to burn it. Of it looks like it's burning turn the heat down. Once it's done take a fork and fluff it and seve with green onion.  It's not going to be exactly like rice but it's a great alternative to rice and you feel like your getting a rice type side dish

Enjoy!

-Jessica 

Paleo Orange Chicken

Paleo Orange Chicken

Ok people!!  Please try this one!!  And PLEASE PLEASE eat it with the Orange slices leftover from the Orange you are going to Zest. It was soooo yummy!!  Pour the extra sauce over your veggies and with those Orange slices it just went together so well!  Now don't be using that Orange Juice that's from concentrate and full of added sugars. Make sure it's fresh Orange Juice NOT from Concentrate!!  Also if your not familiar with Coconut Aminos it is similar to Soy Sauce but made from Coconut. You can buy it at your local health store. Hope you enjoy this one!!  Here's your recipe.. 

Ingredients 

-4 Chicken Breasts (or pkg of Tenders). Chopped into small pieces

-1 Tbsp Coconut Oil

-1/2 Cup Chicken Broth

-1/4 Cup Honey

-3 Garlic Cloves Minced

-1 Tbsp Orange Zest

-1/2 Cup Orange Juice

-1/4 Cup Coconut Aminos

-1 1/2 tsp Sriracha Hot Sauce

-1/4 tsp fresh grated Ginger

-pinch of Red Pepper Flakes

-1 tsp Arrowroot Powder

-Salt/pepper

Chop Chicken into small pieces and lightly Salt and Pepper. 

Melt coconut oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add in chicken pieces and cook until cooked through and browned, about 8-10 minutes. 

Remove from skillet and set aside.  Wipe down Pan to remove oil. 

While chicken is cooking, stir together chicken stock, honey or maple syrup, garlic, orange zest, orange juice, coconut aminos, Sriracha sauce and red pepper flakes. 

Pour sauce into heated skillet and reduce to low heat.  Add chicken and let stand on low for about 5 minutes. Turn up heat and bring to boil.

 

Now add your Tsp of Arrowroot and let it simmer for a few minutes then bring down to low heat. Arrowroot will cause sauce to thicken.  When sauce has cooled some and thickend it's done. 

To serve, spoon chicken over a bed of broccoli and then spoon on additional sauce. 

Enjoy!

-Jessica

Raw Paleo Chocolate Dessert Hearts

Raw Paleo Chocolate Dessert Hearts

I've pretty much decided that most days I need a dessert. I'm proud to say I've found a balance with this and always make it a Paleo Dessert. Some days it's just a 80-90% square of Chocolate. Some days I pull out one of my Paleo Desserts I have stashed away in the freezer. I think for me I have found if I don't deprive myself I don't binge. And if I keep it to one small Paleo dessert a night I don't feel bad about it. With ALL of that being said I have to say this.  It's called a DESSERT for a reason. Just because it's Paleo doesn't mean you can make a batch of these babies and devour the whole thing. Well, I mean you could, but you might hate yourself afterwards. Or at least I would.  So I guess what I'm saying is to each their own. I know the whole Paleo Dessert thing gets a lot of flack because is it STRICT Paleo or NOT??  Honestly.. I don't give a shit. Excuse my French.  I am one girl trying to make this a lifestyle. Meaning I try to eat Paleo 90% of the time & Gluten Free 100% of the time. Maybe some people can eat Paleo 90% of the time and have Pizza and beer on their cheat meals. I CANT.  Period. I will send myself into full auto immune attack if I do. So what I have found the last year is if I eat Paleo and I allow myself an indulgence when I want one I tend to be happier and more content with this lifestyle of eating and not yo-yo diet or fall off the band wagon.  Or blow it with pizza and beer. Ok I'm done ranting... I'll give you the recipe 😜

Raw Paleo Chocolate Dessert Hearts

- 1/3 Healing Cup of Walnuts

-1 Tsp Coconut Oil

- 1 Tsp Cocoa Powder 

- 5 Dates soaked in water for an hour

- Tad bit of Sea Salt added to base mixture. 

- About 5 ounces of 80-90% Chocolate

( I used a full bar of 90% and 1/2 a bar of 86%)

- 1 Tblsp Almond Butter

- Unsweetened Shredded Coconut for sprinkling. 

- Sillicone heart mold (or any mold you want)

In a food processor combine Walnuts, Dates, Cocoa Powder and Coconut Oil and Sea Salt. Pulse until all ingredients are chopped and mixed and can be held together if pushed between your fingers. If your mixture is too oily add more walnuts if it's not staying together add a tiny bit more of oil.

Now press a small amount into the bottom of mold about maybe 1/4 way up or less. 

Now stick in freezer for about 5 minutes to firm up. While those are firming, melt down your chocolate in the microwave.  I usually do mine 30 seconds at at time stirring in between.  Now add 1 Tbsp of Almond butter to melted Chocolate making sure to stir really well so there are no lumps. 

Once the Walnut mixture has firmed up take out of freezer. Your going to spoon the Chocolate over the walnut base to about 3/4 the way up. (Try not to be as messy as me about it 😳). Once the chocolate is starting to firm up a bit sprinkle with Coconut and Stick back into Freezer. 

Once they have completely firmed up take out and peel out of the mold.  Stick in Ziplock bag. They need to be kept in the freezer to keep the walnut mixture in tact. So just pull one out as you feel like it :)

Enjoy! 

- Jessica