Chicken Tortilla Soup

One of my favorite things in the world is Mexican Food! So much so that I married a hispanic man to feed my need for Mexican Food because he's so handsome & sweet :) So when I came across a recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup, I had to do a recipe makeover!!  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have!

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion

1/2c green beans

2 large carrots
2 stalks celery
1 medium jalapeno
4 cloves garlic

1 lb. chicken breast
6c low sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes w/chiles
1 tsp oregano
½ tbsp cumin
1 medium lime
½ bunch cilantro, chopped

Dice the onion, green beans, carrots, celery, and jalapeno (scrape the seeds out of the jalapeno before dicing). Mince the garlic. Cook the onion, green beans, carrots, celery, jalapeno, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until tender.

Add the chicken breast, chicken broth, canned tomatoes with chiles, oregano, and cumin to the pot. Bring the whole pot up to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to low, place a lid on top, and let simmer for one hour.

After simmering for an hour with a lid on, carefully remove the chicken breast from the pot and use two forks to shred the meat. Return the meat to the pot. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the soup. Get as much juice as possible from the lime by using a spoon to scrape the inside of the lime.
Rinse the cilantro and then roughly chop the leaves. Add to the pot, give it a quick stir, and serve.

Eggs On A Cloud - Protein Packed!

This is a great protein packed breakfast that is quick, easy and absolutely delicious! You'll have your breakfast essentials - eggs, bacon & cheese - all in one yummy bite!

4 eggs
1/4 cup grated pecorino-romano
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/4 cup crumbled bacon
pepper

Separate eggs, putting whites in 1 large bowl and yolks in 4 separate small bowls. Whip whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in cheese, chives and bacon. Spoon into 4 mounds on parchment-lined baking sheet; make a deep well in center of each. 

Bake at 450 degrees for 3 minutes, then add 1 yolk to each well; season with pepper. Bake until yolks are just set, 2 to 3 minutes.

Mini Peanut Butter Cups - No Refined Sugar

1/2c cacao powder
1/4c coconut oil
1/4c pure maple syrup
1/4c all natural, organic peanut butter* (or almond butter or cashew butter)
12 mini cupcake wrappers

Mix cacao powder, coconut oil, and maple syrup in a small bowl until a smooth consistency is formed.
Place a small spoonful of the chocolate into the bottom of the cupcake wrappers.
Add a small scoop of peanut butter to the chocolate and spread evenly.
Top the peanut butter with a small scoop of the chocolate and spread evenly to coat the surface.
Place the mini Peanut Butter Cups in the freezer.
Serve once they are hardened and chilled (about 1 hour).
If you are storing them to eat later, store in the freezer.

Jess - Renew Health Coaching

Coconut Flour Pancakes with Strawberry "Syrup" & Whipped Goat Cheese

My daughter absolutely loves pancakes! And every Saturday morning she gives me this cute little look that screams..."Please mommy, make me pancakes." I on the other hand cannot eat pancakes every Saturday, the same texture, flavors - the same syrups. Ugh! Gotta change it up. I experimented today with using coconut flour instead of my typical oat flour or almond flour and WOW! The flavor was absolutely amazing! Topped with a Low Sugar Strawberry "Syrup" instead of maple syrup and then a zing of Whipped Goat Cheese... Well, this just might be a pancake recipe I can do every week! A recipe like that can't help but be shared! Enjoy!

Coconut Pancakes                                                     Strawberry "Syrup"
4 eggs (best at room temperature)                               1/2 lb of frozen strawberries               
1c almond milk                                                              2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp coconut oil                                                           1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla                                                                   2 packets of SweetLeaf Stevia
2 tsp honey                                                                   1 tsp honey
1/2c coconut flour                                                         1 tbsp ground flaxseed     
1 tsp baking soda                                                      
1/4 tsp sea salt                                                             In a small pot over low heat combine all ingredients.  
1/4 tsp cinnamon                                                          Mash strawberries with fork and cook until thickened 
1/4 tsp cardamom                                                         Remove from heat and serve.
1/4 tsp nutmeg

       

Preheat griddle over medium heat. In a small bowl, mix your eggs, almond milk, coconut oil, vanilla and honey.

In a medium bowl, combine the coconut flour, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Whisk together to combine evenly. Stir in wet ingredients until incorporated.

Test griddle to make sure it's not too hot. Do this by dropping 1-2 drops of water on the surface. If the water "dances" it's too hot. If it sizzles, but does not move around the surface, your griddle is ready.

Spoon a couple tablespoons of batter onto the griddle to make each pancake. You may need to spread them out slightly if the batter is thick. Try to make them small and be very mindful not to burn them (coconut flour browns quickly)

Once the bottoms are slightly browned and the tops look dried out, it's time to flip :) Cook an additional 2-3 minutes.  Top with Strawberry "Syrup" and Whipped Goat Cheese :)

Jess - Renew Health Coaching

Beet Greens with Caramelized Onions

1 tblsp olive oil
1/4 lb yellow onion, diced
1/8 tsp fresh thyme
1/8 tsp fresh rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 tsp salt
fresh black pepper
1/8c balsamic vinegar
4c beet leaves, washed and chopped

Heat the oil over medium high heat till it stops sizzling.  Add onions and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, about 30 minutes.  Add the thyme, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper, and vinegar stir well to combine.  Cook for 5-15 more minute.  Add beet greens just to wilt.

Grajeda Family Salsa

8 cloves garlic (leave skin/paper on)
1/2 lb onion
1/2 lb jalapeno or sorreno peppers
4 lbs hot house tomatoes
2 lbs tomatillos
1 bunch cilantro
3 tblsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp cumin
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 500F degrees.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange garlic, onion, peppers, tomatoes and tomatillos on the baking sheet. (DO NOT REMOVE GARLIC PAPER) This will prevent the garlic cloves from burning and becoming bitter.

Place in oven until the skins of the red tomatoes break and begin to peel back. Remove skins/papers of the garlic. Place all roasted ingredients & cilantro into the food processor. Process until slightly chunky. Add tomato paste, cumin & salt. Process again. (DO NOT OVER-PROCESS or your salsa will get runny.)

Serve warm or refrigerate up to 2 weeks. I have froze this salsa many times and it defrosts nicely! :) Enjoy!!!

Crunchy Bok Choy Slaw

1/4c rice vinegar
1 tblsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp agave
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
6c bok choy, very thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 tsp sesame seeds

Whisk vinegar, oil, agave, mustard and salt in a large bowl until the agave dissolves. Add bok choy, carrots and scallions.  Toss to coat with the dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Roasted Salmon Stuffed with Spinach, Feta & Ricotta

Salmon fillet stuffed with spinach, ricotta and feta cheese and flavored with Dijon mustard, fresh dill and oregano makes for a scrumptious holiday meal and impressive presentation. For seafood lovers, this savory roast promises to be the start of a new holiday tradition.

1 (2-pound) center-cut boneless, skinless salmon fillet
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup packed baby spinach, divided
Extra virgin olive oil
Chopped dill

Chopped oregano

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Butterfly salmon fillet through the center so that it lays open flat in one large piece like a book. Turn salmon over so gray underside is facing up and arrange on a clean work surface. In a bowl, mash together ricotta and feta until well blended then season with salt and pepper. 

Season salmon with salt and pepper then spread fillet with mustard and arrange half of the spinach over the top, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Evenly spread cheese mixture on top of spinach then top with remaining spinach. Starting from one of the long sides, gently roll up salmon and tie snugly with cooking twine at 1-inch intervals. 

Gently transfer salmon to a greased baking sheet then brush top and sides with oil and season outside with salt and pepper. Scatter dill and oregano over the top and sides and roast until just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Set aside to let rest for 5 minutes then carefully transfer to a serving platter, remove and discard twine and serve.

Nutritional Info:
PER SERVING:340 calories (180 from fat), 20g total fat, 8g saturated fat, 120mg cholesterol, 560mg sodium, 3g carbohydrate (0g dietary fiber, 1g sugar), 36g protein

Smoked Salmon Cheese Balls

A very affordable crowd pleaser served with crackers, flatbread or pita chips.

1 (8 ounces) package Changing Seas Norwegian Smoked Salmon, roughly chopped
1 (8 ounces) package Neufchâtel cheese
1/4 cup 365 Everyday Value Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3 green onions, roughly chopped
3/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsely, divided

Put all ingredients except for parsley into a food processor and pulse until combined, but not perfectly smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill until very cold, about 4 hours. Arrange half of parsley on a plate. Keeping half of salmon mixture chilled, spoon other half onto parsley, sprinkle parsley all over to coat and shape into a ball. Repeat with remaining parsley and salmon mixture. (If you choose to make smaller cheese balls, keep the cheese mixture very cold and work quickly.) Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Nutritional Info: 
PER SERVING:70 calories (40 from fat), 4.5g total fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 15mg cholesterol, 240mg sodium, 1g carbohydrate (0g dietary fiber, 1g sugar), 5g protein

Garlic Lentil Spread

Garlic Lentil Spread

2 tblsp raw unsalted walnuts
1c Puy lentils, cooked
2 green onions, trimmed and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tblsp grainy mustard
1-2 tblsp avocado oil (can substitute olive oil)
1 tblsp low sodium soy sauce (can substitute tamari)
sea salt & pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.  Adjust consistency by starting with 1 tblsp of oil and adding more if necessary.  Cover and refrigerate.

Breakfast in a Cup

Crust:

1c thawed hashbrowns

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp parsley, dried

1 tblsp olive oil

olive oil spray

12 paper or foil liners

Filling:

6 pieces of bacon, baked or fried - patted dry

8 eggs, beaten

1/2 c almond milk

1c fresh spinach, chopped

1/4 onion, chopped

1-2 roma tomatoes

1/2 jalapeno, minced (optional)

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp sea salt

3 tblsp shredded low fat cheese

Preheat oven to 400F Degrees.  Place 12 paper or preferably foil liners into your muffin tin. Spray with olive oil spray. Place all crust ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix well and spoon by tablespoons into the muffin liners. Press to bottom and sides leaving no holes in the crust. Bake for 12 minutes or until hashbrowns are golden brown. Remove from oven.

While the hashbrown are baking, mix all filling ingredients together and whisk until well combined.  When hashbrowns are done, poor egg filling by 1/4 cups into foil liners. Return to oven and bake for 13-15 minutes or until eggs are set.  Remove from oven and serve immediately.  I topped mine with Sicilian Yogurt Cheese :)

*These can also be refrigerated for the week or frozen for up to 3 weeks.  Reheat in the microwave or oven and serve.

**I'm also working on a mashed red potato & cauliflower crust. As soon as this is perfected I'll post the recipe here as well.

Butternut Squash Hummus

With the traditional flavors of hummus – tahini, garlic and lemon juice – this butternut squash hummus is familiar in flavor, but surprisingly sweet and creamy.

3/4 pound cooked butternut squash (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
8 pitted green olives
1 clove garlic

Puree all ingredients in a food processor, adding 1 or 2 tablespoons water, if needed.

Nutritional Info:
PER SERVING:70 calories (30 from fat), 3.5g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 35mg sodium, 9g carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 1g sugar), 2g protein

Oven Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Oven Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 medium pumpkin
4c water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 250°F. Cut off top 3 to 4 inches of pumpkin then scoop out seeds onto a clean work surface. Discard stringy fiber from seeds along with any seeds that are split or cracked then transfer to a strainer and rinse well. (You should have about 2 cups of seeds.)

In a medium pot, bring water to a boil. Add seeds, reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes. Drain well then transfer to a paper towel-lined sheet tray and pat dry.

Transfer seeds to a medium bowl, toss with oil and spread out in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Roast seeds, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until just crisp and golden brown, about 1 hour total. (They will become crispier as they cool.) Set aside to let cool completely then shell or eat whole. 



For spicy pumpkin seeds, mix 1/2 teaspoon each garlic salt, cumin, coriander and cardamom with seeds and oil before roasting. 
For sweet pumpkin seeds, mix 1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, cloves and ginger and 1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar with seeds and oil before roasting.

Goat Cheese Pesto Stuffed Tomatoes

Goat Cheese Pesto Stuffed Tomatoes

1/3c goat cheese (chèvre)
2 tblsp fresh-made basil pesto
4 medium tomatoes
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tblsp minced fresh basil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix together goat cheese and pesto on a small bowl; set aside. Cut about 1/4 inch off top of tomato and discard "cap." Drizzle olive oil on tomato. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake tomatoes on baking sheet for about 45 minutes, or until tender. (They should not cook so long that they begin to fall apart.) Remove from oven and top with goat cheese mixture. Sprinkle with basil and broil for about 2 minutes, or until cheese begins to turn golden and bubble. Serve immediately.

Broccoli, Shiitake & Red Onion Roast

Broccoli, Shiitake & Red Onion Roast

1 1/4 lb broccoli heads
1/2 lb large shiitake mushrooms
1 red onion, sliced crosswise
olive oil
sea salt & pepper
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 425°. Trim and peel the broccoli stems. Cut the broccoli lengthwise into long stalks, with 1 or 2 florets each. Cut any remaining florets into 2-inch pieces. Spread the broccoli on a large, rimmed baking sheet. On another large, rimmed baking sheet, put the shiitake on one side and the onion slices on the other. Generously brush all the vegetables with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for about 20 minutes, until just tender and lightly browned. Transfer the broccoli to a platter. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the mushrooms and onion rings and stir to coat the vegetables. Top the broccoli with the shiitake and onion and serve.

Homemade Vegetable Stock

Homemade Vegetable Stock

2 carrots, sliced
2 leeks
1 onion, sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 handful of parsley
1 handful of broccoli stems
2 bay leaves

Put all ingredients in a large saucepan and cover with boiling water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 45 minutes or until tender.

Strain the stock & discard the vegetables. Cool, cover and refrigerate for all your favorite recipes!

Homemade Healthy Artichoke Dip

Homemade Healthy Artichoke Dip

8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/2c light olive oil mayo
1/2c Fage 0% greek yogurt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, or to taste
3c shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 small onion, diced

Preheat oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a food processor, place the cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, Parmesan cheese and garlic. Purée until all ingredients are combined. Add mozzarella cheese, black pepper and cayenne, pulsing just until combined. Add artichoke hearts and pulse again just until combined. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in the onion.

Bake in a 9-inch square glass baking dish for 40 to 45 minutes, until bubbly and browned. Serve immediately.

Roasted Peppers

Once roasted, bell peppers become very sweet and add a full flavor to many dishes.  I add them to salads, wraps and cooked grains.  You can use a variety of red, yellow, green or orange. I think the red, yellow and orange become the sweetest.

Roasted Peppers

4 bell peppers (can be red, orange or yellow)
olive oil spray

Preheat the broiler to high.  Mist a baking sheet with olive oil spray.

Halve & seed the bell peppers and place cut side down on your baking sheet.  Broil for 15 minutes or until skins blacken.

Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and cool.  This will allow the blackened skin to separate from the flesh of the pepper.

Once cool, peel off and discard skins.  You may freeze them individually or all together in a Ziploc for up to 6 months.  They can be refrigerated for 4-5 days.

Pineapple, Lime & Avocado Smoothie

Pineapple, Lime & Avocado Smoothie

1 avocado, halved & pitted
2c fresh pineapple juice
1 tsp lime juice
2tsp honey

Remove the flesh from the avocado and place in a blender or food processor.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.  Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Greek Tzatziki Sauce

Greek Tzatziki Sauce

1/2 cucumber, seeded & minced
2 tblsp mint leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
sea salt to taste
1 tblsp lemon juice
16oz greek yogurt or lowfat sour cream

Peel the cucumber and remove the seeds using a spoon.  Finely chop the cucumber, fresh mint and garlic.  Put the cucumber in a paper towel and gently squeeze to remove excess moisture.  Transfer the cucumber to a bowl, add the yogurt, garlic, salt, lemon juice and the fresh and dried mint and mix well to combine.  Refrigerate to allow flavors to blend.

I serve tzatziki sauce with vegetables, gluten free crackers, on hamburgers and with kale chips.