Time to Detox

After the holidays and after I have eaten more than I had planned, I thought it was a good idea to go on a detox soup.

I found one at glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com – here and I set to make this delicious soup.  As usual, I did not have all the ingredients so I made up my own version and added a few extra spices.

So here’s my version.  We loved it and I ate it 4 times in a row. Felt great after, but not sure how much detoxing I did.

Happy detoxing!

 

Harvest Veggie Detox Soup

1 T. olive oil

4 cloves garlic pressed

1/4 to 1/2 t. ginger powder

2 t. curry powder

1 t. tumeric

1/2 t. cayenne pepper powder

1 onion chopped

3 carrots peeled and chopped

1 cup fresh zucchini cut up in small chunks

1 apple peeled and diced

1 cup pumpkin – fresh (you could use sweet potato or butternut squash if you don’t have pumpkin)

2 cups shredded cabbage

1 qt. water

1 cup tomato paste

1 1/2 cups chick peas soaked already

salt, cajun spice, 2 vegetable bouillon cubes, italian seasonings, Jo Jo Potato seasoning– all to taste

cook in crock pot until everything is tender. pay special attention to the chick peas.

Add 14 oz coconut milk and 1 t. raw honey

and blend in blender a little at a time.

You can garnish with lime slice and cilantro.

I creamed only as I ate the soup. I just added the coconut milk in the soup just before blending and then I could save the soup in the fridge for later, at which time I heated and then creamed the soup.

Perfect for several meals.

If you are doing on stove top, just cook covered on low until all the vegetables are tender. (about 30 min.) In this case I would use canned or cooked chick peas.

 

Raw Candy

Bill and I have been trying to eat healthier lately.  You know the rap, less sugar, more honey. Less butter, more coconut oil.  Less bread more vegetables.  So how is it going?  Pretty good.  The holidays are more difficult though.  If one only had an alternative candy, that was truly delicious and could be waiting in the fridge for when those “hungry-s” attack.

Enter Healthy Raw Candy!

I did this twice and I will share both versions.

Takes about 5 min to throw together…ok…maybe 10.  But it is fast, I promise.

Raw Candy

1 cup oats

2/3 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup honey

1 t. vanilla

shake of cinnamon

Mix and roll into little walnut size balls. Refrigerate in covered container for at least 30 min.  When they get cool, they dry out a bit and can be easily held in your hand.

Second time:

Raw Candy with Chocolate

1 cup oats

1/2 c. coconut butter

1/4 cup peanut butter or 2/3 cup ground nuts

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup cranberries dried

1/2 cup chocolate chips or other chocolate morsels

1/3 c. honey

1 t. vanilla

extra cinnamon

roll into balls and place covered in refrigerator for half hour.

These will keep up to one week in fridge.

Baked Potatoes

Wash, scrubbing well, and pat dry nice sized baking potatoes

poke holes with a knife or fork a couple times so they won’t burst in the oven

oil potatoes and place in covered baking dish or wrap in foil.

place in middle of oven

425 for one hour

Cut in half, place butter in each half and sprinkle with cajun spice and italian herbs

Family Favorite Roast Beef

Roast Beef

Ingredients:

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 package dry onion soup mix

Dash of garlic powder and dried italian herbs

Dash of Cayenne pepper

fresh ground black pepper to taste

1/4 – 1/2 cup water
3 lb. pound pot roast

Directions
In a slow cooker place pot roast and coat with soup mixture.

Cook on low setting for 5-8 hours.

Can add round boiling potatoes and a 1/2 package of baby carrots.

Also could add onion and celery (loosely chopped)

Before serving sprinkle with dried italian herbs

Talapia fresh or frozen

Frozen Talapia that is individually frozen is great because you can take out only what you need, as you need it.

For this recipe I will say 4 Fillets just to make it simple.

2 T. olive oil in baking dish

Rinse and pat dry fish.  If they are frozen that is ok too.

Place fish in baking dish.

Brush olive oil on the top of the fish

Sprinkle:

Juice of one lime

Italian or Provencal herbs

Cajun seasoning  or salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper powder

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Variation: crushed fresh ginger mixed with the lime juice

Bake at 350 for  15 to 20 min or until juices turn a white color like clabbered milk.

Humus with Pita

One thing leads to another… First I made hummus then thought, I need pita bread to go with that.  As the bread was rising, I thought, well I might as well make some morrocan chicken and cucumber youghurt to go with that.  Before I knew it I was pulling out stuff for saffron rice as well.  Enjoy the recipe!

Humus

2 cups chick peas cooked

3T. (sesame paste) make with sesame seeds and grind till makes a paste.

2 T. lime juice, more or less to taste

1 1/2 tsp salt, more or less to taste

1 clove garlic – more to taste roasted first

1 – 2 TBSP reserved liquid if needed

1/4 tsp cummin, 1/4 t. corriander seeds ground in food processor

2 TBSP chopped parsley (garnish)
1/2 roasted red pepper
Drain chickpeas, reserving liquid.
Peel, roast and chop garlic.
Put chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice and salt in food processor, process to thick paste.  add roasted red pepper. process.
if desired 1/8 cup fresh corrianderGarnish with parsley (optional) and serve with pita or arabic bread, or crackers.I made pita bread to go with this.

Pita Bread
1 1/3 c. water (80 deg.)8 t. olive oil4 t. sugar1 1/4 t. salt2 cups bread flour1 1/3 c. whole wheat flour2 1/2 t. yeast

mix, knead, riseDivide into 10 smooth balls, let rise 20 min. flatten to 6 inch circles.Bake at 500 F. for 5 min. till puffed and light brown.

Only one word for this meal. delicious.Cheers,Julie

Three Smoothie Recipes

Apricot & Rum

(serves one)

1 cup of milk (non fat)

1 T. Almond Butter

1 t. honey

3 apricots, fresh or dried that have been soaked

1/4 t. rum flavoring

nutmeg (optional)

Dash of Vanilla

4 ice cubes

whirl together in a blender till ice is blended

Banana Raspberry

serves one

1 sweet banana

1 cup milk

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

4 ice cubes

Whirl together in blender till ice is blended.

Chocolate and Almonds

1T. almond butter

1 t. honey

1/2 t. cocoa pwdr.

Mix together and use as a dip or spread

or blend with ice and milk

or blend with hot coffee and milk or just hot milk