Recipes

3-ingredient Strawberry Jam

August 23, 2018

Homemade jam really couldn’t be easier! You can use any frozen fruit you have on hand or mix a few and make a medley! It’s so good on breads, biscuits, or in my Strawberry Cheesecake Bars!

This 3-ingredient Strawberry Jam cooks up in less than ten minutes and is a easy sub for your go-to store bought jams, when you’re trying to stay away from processed foods. Check out the ingredient label on your jams and jellies – it’s insane how many ingredients are in some brands! You could even do away with the sweetener in this, depending on how sweet your fruit is!

Print Recipe
3-ingredient Strawberry Jam
Cook Time 8 minutes
Servings
cup
Ingredients
Cook Time 8 minutes
Servings
cup
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook fruit for 5 minutes.
  2. As the fruit is cooking, mash it up with a spoon until a smoother consistency is formed.
  3. Add chia seeds and honey and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes until jam has thickened.
  4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Hatch Green Chile Chicken Salad {Paleo, Keto, Whole30}

August 15, 2018

Any excuse to make food that is Mexican-inspired, I am down for! I recently purchased a huge bag of fresh hatch green chiles and have been finding different ways to use them beside your typical enchiladas, casseroles, or sauces.

                 

If you don’t have access to fresh hatch green chiles, you could use the canned variety in this recipe. It won’t have as fresh of a taste, but it will still be delicious, nonetheless!

Try this Hatch Green Chile Chicken Salad on a sandwich, with some crackers, on it’s own, or in a wrap like I usually do!

Feel free to use more or less jalapenos in the recipe to adjust to your heat level. We like things on the spicy side, so I tend to go heavier on the jalaps.

In this recipe, I use Primal Kitchen’s Egg-free Mayo, due to my husband’s new egg intolerance. I was super surprised to find that it tastes so much like regular mayo! If you have an egg sensitivity, definitely check this variety of their mayo out!

Balanced Health

          

Balanced Health

 

Print Recipe
Hatch Green Chile Chicken Salad {Paleo, Keto, Whole30}
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Rough chop green chiles and blend in a food processor until minced or almost smooth.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine green chiles, mayo, and seasonings.
  3. Add in the onions, jalapenos, and shredded chicken. Stir to combine.
  4. Serve immediately on a sandwich or in a wrap or refrigerate until ready to eat. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes

*Sub 1/4 cup of canned green chiles

Sausage Peppered Gravy {Dairy, Gluten, & Grain Free}

August 14, 2018

3 ingredients…plus water, a few seasonings, and some biscuits and you’ll have one of my favorite meals!

When someone says “comfort food,” sausage gravy and biscuits is one of the first things that comes to my mind. To some of my friends, my mom is still remembered for making them her biscuits n’ gravy. Thankfully, she passed on the knowledge! However, I’ve had to take all of those skills and recipes from her and learn to adapt to the clean-eating lifestyle, which generally, does not include much dairy, gluten, or grains – common things found in comfort foods.

Thankfully, this recipe fits all of those criteria and doesn’t disappoint in the slightest.

Cashews are used in this particular recipe and they offer a creamy, slighty nutty sauce that, when combined with the sausage is deeeelicious! I’ve used both coconut and almond milk in a sausage gravy recipe before and it did the trick when I was craving this kind of dish, however, the cashews definitely win when it comes to my favorite.

This Sausage Peppered Gravy will have you going back for seconds…and thirds! SO BE CAREFUL! 😉

Serve this gravy over a breakfast skillet, chicken cutlets and mashed potatoes, or make a batch of my Easy Vegan (Egg-free) Drop Biscuits for a complete meal!

Print Recipe
Sausage Peppered Gravy {Dairy Free}
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, break up and brown sausage.
  2. While the sausage browns, blend cashews* and water in a high powdered blender or food processor until completely smooth.
  3. Add in 2 tbsp of arrowroot to the mixture and blend for a few more seconds.
  4. Once the sausage has browned, add the cashew sauce, salt, pepper, and sage to the skillet.
  5. Stir and bring the gravy to a simmer.
  6. Cook for 5-10 minutes until gravy has thickened.
  7. If desired, you can add another tablespoon of arrowroot powder to thicken the gravy even more. Simply mix it with 1-2 tbsp of water to create a slurry and add to the gravy.
  8. Serve it over biscuits, potatoes, chicken, or eggs. It's delicious in so many forms!
Recipe Notes

*Soaking cashews for 30 minutes prior will soften them and help the mixture blend faster and easier.

Easy Vegan Drop Biscuits {Gluten & Grain Free}

August 14, 2018

Recently, my husband discovered he was intolerant to eggs. Let me tell ya, we eat A LOT of eggs and that is coming to an end for awhile. This discovery came to our attention through testing that we had done through Balanced Health. We already suspected that he was intolerant to dairy, at least cow’s milk, but eggs just weren’t on our minds! It’s so nice to have some answers and work to eliminate some of his health issues. There were quite a few other things that we discovered through this testing that we never would have guessed! We’re excited to put some things into play and see what comes out of it. I’ll be sharing more details about our experience in a future post.

Balanced Health


Due to this newly discovered egg intolerance, I’m learning to adapt many of recipes to fit into his diet. Most of the baked goods that I make require eggs. There will be lots of experimenting in the near future.

The other night, he requested biscuits and sausage gravy…so I got to work! Surprisingly, he loved the first batch that I made of these and said, “Don’t change a thing!”

These biscuits are moist and perfectly crumbly, but still hold up well like your typical biscuits. They’re made from a mixture of flours and chia seeds, instead of eggs. If you can tolerate eggs, and are not restricted to a vegan diet, you could substitute an egg for the chia seeds and water in this recipe.

These Easy Vegan Drop Biscuits are super simple to make, hence the name, and could pair well with any meal. However, my favorite way to eat biscuits will always be to have them covered in sausage gravy. ALWAYS. Check out my recipe for Sausage Peppered Gravy for a dairy free, paleo take on the classic!



If you’re are interested in getting testing done like we did, you can do so through the link below. We purchased the Full Scan.

https://www.creatingbalancedhealth.com/product/fullscan/?ref=57

Balanced Health

You can receive $20 off any scan by entering “GonePaleo” at checkout. I would highly recommend doing it, if you’re curious at all about how your body is functioning despite having digestion problems or not. Our diet affects so many things in our body, from mood to your skin. If you are having ANY health issues, this test could give you answers or make a great starting point in aiding your health!

The full scan runs your saliva and hair samples (that you send via mail) against 600 factors. It lets you know how different parts of your body are functioning, i.e. your thyroids, liver, blood, digestion, nervous/respiratory system, etc. Such an interesting thing to learn! I will be getting myself tested in the future, as well!

Balanced Health

 

Print Recipe
Easy Vegan Drop Biscuits {Gluten & Grain Free}
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings
biscuits
Ingredients
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings
biscuits
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a small bowl, mix chia seeds and 1/4 cup of the water and let rest for 3-4 minutes.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients - almond and coconut flour, arrowroot, salt, and baking powder.
  4. Once the chia mixture has thickened and turned into a coagulated, gel-like mixture, add vinegar, avocado oil, and remaining 1/2 cup of water and whisk to combine.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to your mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir just enough to combine.
  6. Onto a greased or lined baking sheet, drop approximately 1/3 cup-sized portions evenly onto the sheet.
  7. Bake for 15-17 minutes until slightly golden and cooked through the center.

Blueberry Cobbler Smoothie {Dairy Free, Paleo, Keto}

August 10, 2018

Smoothies are my favorite way to pack in extra veggies when I’m feeling like a “treat” instead.

Cauliflower is a staple in every smoothie that I make. Any smoothie that calls for ice, I replace it with cauliflower.

I promise, you can’t tell!

Smoothies are a great way to hide veggies from picky kids (and adults!) too. If I have spinach on hand, I’ll throw a little in there too sometimes. Typically, I try to keep my smoothies pretty simple for my digestion’s sake. Too much going on can often lead to discomfort.

My go-to’s are quick and easy and take little thought. I usually grab some frozen cauliflower, some frozen chopped fruit,  yogurt (coconut milk or goat’s milk), cashews for extra creaminess and lots of ceylon cinnamon.

SIMPLE AND EASY!

The cauliflower that I use is either the bagged variety from the freezer aisle in my grocery store or fresh cauliflower that I’ve steamed and then frozen. The latter method helps with digestion, and I always try to do it when I remember. Sometimes, raw veggies can cause bloating and discomfort as well. Everyone is different!

This Blueberry Cobbler Smoothie tastes like dessert and the sweetness level is totally up to you! A few pinches of extra spices totally make this smoothie hit the spot! It tastes like more of a “treat” than a meal or snack, but it’s completely guilt free!

You have fiber from the cauliflower, antioxidants from the blueberries, fat from the cashews and yogurt (plus probiotics!), and anti-inflammatory properties with the ceylon cinnamon. Lots of the goods in this bowl!

Try it without adding anything else sweet and see how you like it!

Usually a few extra blueberries on top and some added granola is plenty sweetness for me!


Print Recipe
Blueberry Cobbler Smoothie
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a blender, add yogurt and coconut milk first.
  2. Follow by adding the remaining ingredients.
  3. Beginning at the lowest setting and working your way up, blend until smooth.
  4. Add additional milk or water, as needed to blend.
  5. Top with desired toppings such as, granola or frozen fruit.

Garlic & Herb “Pasta” Salad {Paleo, Whole30, Keto, Low-Carb}

August 7, 2018

This. Salad.

It’s perfect for those summertime cookouts or whenever you are trying to stay far away from the oven or cooking over a stove!

Pair it with almost anything, or eat it all on it’s own!

This Garlic & Herb “Pasta” Salad is refreshing and packed with flavor.

It’s great on those hot summer days when you just don’t feel like eating anything heavy.

…the best part, it takes less than 5 minutes to whip up!

 

Print Recipe
Garlic & Herb "Pasta" Salad {Paleo, Whole30, Keto, Low-Carb}
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Prepare the garlic and herb dressing according to the recipe.
  2. Slice pepperoni into 1/4-1/2" strips.
  3. Slice tomatoes in half, if desired. This makes them easier to eat with a fork!
  4. Chop the cucumber into bite sized pieces. I do this by slicing it in half, longways first - then slicing each half longways again. Finally, I chop each "strip" into 1/2" pieces.
  5. In a large bowl, toss zucchini, pepperoni, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, and dressing until combined.
  6. Let the salad rest in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Sometimes, excess liquid will come off of the veggies and the dressing will settle on the bottom. Make sure to toss the salad immediately before serving.

Creamy Garlic & Herb Dressing {Dairy Free}

August 7, 2018

This dressing couldn’t be anymore simple! It comes together in just a minute and is so tasty!

Make this Creamy Garlic & Herb Dressing and use it as a dip for veggies or toss it in a pasta!

Feel free to add fresh herbs, instead of dried, if you have those handy!

Check out the recipe for my Garlic & Herb “Pasta” Salad for a low-carb side dish to pour this dressing over!

Print Recipe
Creamy Garlic & Herb Dressing {Dairy Free}
Servings
Ingredients
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, whisk all the ingredients together until combined.
  2. Start with 1 tbsp of minced garlic (or 1 tsp of garlic powder) and add more, if desired.
  3. Finally, add more salt, if desired, as well.

Maple Bacon Protein Balls {Dairy, Gluten, & Grain Free}

July 25, 2018

When it comes to bacon, I just can’t help myself. I’m guilty of trying to find an excuse to use it in any recipe.

Protein balls are NO exception. I make a batch of protein balls every week for quick, convenient snacks, and these might have to be a regular occurrence. THEY ARE SO GOOD!

They taste like you just ate the last bite of pancakes and bacon off your plate. YES, PLEASE.

They’re crunchy from the crispy bacon and sweet from the maple syrup and maple sugar.

Protein balls are a great way to snack and get in some healthy fats and protein during the day. Snacks, like these, are the kind that keeps you feeling satisfied longer, along with being fairly guilt-free. Don’t go and eat the whole batch, though. I wouldn’t classify that as being a smart choice!

Not a fan of the salty and sweet combo? Check out a few of my other protein ball recipes below!

Cinnamon Roll Protein Balls

Strawberry Shortcake Protein Balls

Birthday Cake Protein Balls

Cherry Cobbler Protein Balls

Double Chocolate Brownie Balls


Print Recipe
Maple Bacon Protein Balls {Dairy, Gluten, & Grain Free}
Prep Time 5 minutes
Passive Time 20+ minutes of cooling/freezing
Servings
balls
Ingredients
Prep Time 5 minutes
Passive Time 20+ minutes of cooling/freezing
Servings
balls
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a high-powdered blender or food processor, blend cashews and coconut oil until fairly smooth.
  2. Add in bacon slices to the blender and blend for 10-15 seconds until the bacon is broken up into very little pieces and equally dispersed throughout the cashew butter.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine the cashew butter with the remaining ingredients.
  4. Scoop out tablespoon sized balls onto a tray until all of the mixture is used. Melon baller scoops work great for this step!
  5. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes or refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
  6. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes

*Maple sugar can be hard to find, but it adds extra maple flavor as the pure syrup can sometimes be lacking. If you cannot find maple sugar you can substitute coconut sugar.

Cinnamon Roll Protein Balls {Dairy, Gluten, & Grain Free}

July 13, 2018

These creamy little bits have become a new favorite of mine.

Not only are they delicious, they’re filled with healthy fats and protein, but anti-inflammatory properties, as well!

Cinnamon is one of my favorite flavors and it helps to make things more “dessert-like” when I’m trying to keep the sugar in a recipe low.

These balls are sweetened with only FOUR medjool dates, yet you’ll feel like you’re biting into a creamy, sugary cinnamon roll bite! Except this little bite will be good for you!

Make a batch of these Cinnamon Roll Protein Balls to keep on hand for those sugar cravings that are always bound to hit you throughout the week! They’re delicious and so satisfying!


Print Recipe
Cinnamon Roll Protein Balls {Dairy, Gluten, & Grain Free}
Prep Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 20+ minutes - cooling
Servings
balls
Ingredients
Prep Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 20+ minutes - cooling
Servings
balls
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a food processor, blend cashews, coconut butter, and dates until fairly smooth. You can leave it a little chunky, depending on preference.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, add cashew mixture and remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
  3. If the mixture is too wet, you can add a couple teaspoons of almond flour, as needed. If it's too dry, you can add another teaspoon of melted coconut butter.
  4. Onto a lined baking sheet or plate, scoop out tablespoon sized balls. I use a melon baller scoop for this step - it makes it so easy and fast!
  5. Freeze for 20 minutes or refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
  6. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator/freezer.

Fried Green Tomatoes {Grain & Gluten Free}

July 12, 2018

If you are reading this title and don’t have a clue as to what these are… pay attention and make these!

Green tomatoes are simply unripened tomatoes. They’re much firmer and not as juicy as the red ones, which make them perfect for frying. Any variety will work for this recipe, I had Early Girl on hand, thanks to my mom’s garden this year.

Personally, I’m not even the biggest fan of fresh tomatoes, but the green ones, when battered and fried, I am DEFINITELY a fan! The taste of these Fried Green Tomatoes are fresh and slightly acidic… and the crunch on the outside is so, so good!

With a father, being born and raised in North Carolina, and a mother being able to cook just about anything, regardless of where she was from, these were a staple for dinnertime during the summer months. However, they never made it to the actual dinner table. My poor mom couldn’t fry them fast enough, as we all stood around the stove and ate them as soon as they finished frying…only allowing a few seconds to let them cool. Those seconds seemed like forever!

Do yourself a favor, and go pick some of those green tomatoes off your plants and fry them up!

Sometimes, I add a bit of parmesan cheese to the breading, but it’s not necessary. If you tolerate dairy, it adds a bit more flavor and crunch, but you can definitely do without it and they still turn out delicious!

Next time you’re looking for a new side dish for those summer dinners, make a batch (or 3!) of these Fried Green Tomatoes, you won’t be disappointed, and you’ll also be addicted. Whip up a batch of Southwest Ranch Dressing to dip them in for even more flavor – it’s a personal favorite of mine!

Print Recipe
Fried Green Tomatoes {Grain & Gluten Free}
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Slice tomatoes thin - 1/8" inch or less, depending on preference. The thinner they are, the quicker they will cook.
  2. In a small bowl, beat the egg.
  3. In a large bowl or shallow plate, combine almond flour, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. If you're choosing to add the cheese, add the parmesan now, otherwise, simply omit it from the recipe.
  4. In a separate bowl or shallow plate, add the arrowroot flour.
  5. Add oil to a skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Allow it to heat for 5 minutes or so.
  6. While the oil is heating up, dredge the tomato slices in the arrowroot, being sure to cover both sides and edges.
  7. After the arrowroot flour, dip the slices in the egg - coating both sides.
  8. After the egg, dip the slices in the almond flour mixture - being sure to evenly coat both sides and the edges.
  9. Place slices in the hot oil. You don't want to overcrowd the pan. I usually cook 7-8 slices at a time, depending on the size of pan. They should sizzle and start to fry immediately. If not, wait, and heat the oil further.
  10. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute and 45 seconds on the first side or until golden brown and crispy.
  11. Flip and cook for another 60-75 seconds or until the second side is golden brown, as well.
  12. Transfer slices to a cooking rack or plate lined with a paper towel to drain the excess oil off.
  13. Repeat steps 6-12 until all of the slices are cooked.
  14. If you want to keep the slices warm (meaning there are not people around to eat them immediately out of the pan!), place them in a 250 degree oven on a baking sheet lined with a rack to keep them warm and crispy until served.