Asian Braised Short Ribs

Friday, June 15, 2012 - Posted by Leah Bent at 9:17 PM


Have you ever had short ribs? This was my first attempt at making them. They were super easy to prepare and I'll definitely be making them again. The ribs were braised on the stove first, then finished in a crock pot. That made them insanely tender and wonderfully flavorful. I served the short ribs with cauliflower rice. This recipe will definitely is a Sunday dinner staple in our house!



Ingredients:

4 lbs of bone in beef short ribs
2 TBSP chinese five spice
3 TBSP coconut oil
1 large yellow onion cut in slices
4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
1/3 cup beef broth
1/3 cup coconut aminos
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 TBSP chili garlic paste
2 TBSP fresh grated ginger
2 TBSP date paste
zest of one orange

Season the short ribs with the five spice and shake off the excess. 

In a heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 TBSP of the coconut oil. Working in batches, brown the ribs on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes total, adding more oil to the pan if needed. Transfer to a slow cooker. 

Add more oil to the pan if needed. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the beef broth, stirring to scrape up the browned bits. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the broth is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker along with the coconut aminos, vinegar, sesame oil, chili paste, ginger, orange zest, orange juice and date paste. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours according to the manufacturers instructions. 

Spoon the fat off the sauce. Transfer the ribs and sauce to a serving bowl and serve with steamed cauliflower rice. 

*Serves 6. 
*GF/DF/SF


























My Favorite Green Smoothie

Friday, June 08, 2012 - Posted by Leah Bent at 7:00 AM



My husband is a smoothie fiend; me not so much. I prefer a cold slushy drink over a smoothie any day. When I was introduced to this green smoothie by a good friend, I did not think I would like it AT ALL. But after my first sip I fell in love! The taste was fresh and unexpectedly sweet. I never could have imagined that a green smoothie could taste so good! It's a perfect refreshing drink on a hot day or as an early morning pick-me-up.


My Favorite Green Smoothie


1 cup spinach
1 cup green grapes
1 small lime wedge
1 tsp date paste (optional)
1 cup ice

Blend all ingredients in a powerful blender.
Pour into a fancy glass and garnish with a lime wedge.


(Sip slowly and imagine yourself relaxing on a tropical island)

*Makes 2 smoothies
*GF/DF/SF/V

3 Ingredient Pancakes

Tuesday, June 05, 2012 - Posted by Leah Bent at 10:13 PM



Actually, there are more than three ingredients, but we'll get to that a little later. These have seriously satisfied my cravings for fluffy, sugary, buttery oh-so-gluteny pancakes. I make them for breakfast when I get sick of eggs, which does happen from time to time. They are also super quick and easy to prepare. You can whip them up at the beginning of the week, freeze some, and have breakfast for the rest of the week. (Just pop them in the toaster oven for a couple of minutes to reheat.) 

Now back to the three ingredients. The three MAIN ingredients are banana, egg and almond butter, but you can pretty much customize them any way you like. I add a little flax meal, hemp hearts, and blueberries to mine. They are packed with protein and belly filling fiber. They are so wonderfully satisfying that you won't even miss those OTHER pancakes!




3 Ingredient Pancakes


1 very ripe banana 
1 egg
1 heaping TBSP creamy almond butter
Add-ins (blueberries, strawberries, unsweetened coconut, flax meal, hemp hearts, etc.)

Mash the banana, add egg and almond butter and mix well.

(Batter should be fairly smooth with small banana clumps.)

Stir in add-ins.

Warm coconut oil in a pan over medium heat.

Using a 1/4 cup, pour batter into pan.

Brown on one side; flip.

Serve warm with a side of bacon.

*Makes 5 pancakes
*DF/SF/GF









Nut Granola Breakfast Cereal

Saturday, June 02, 2012 - Posted by Leah Bent at 11:00 AM
One thing I really miss eating on a whole food diet is a bowl of crunchy cereal with cold milk. I'm so glad to have found a healthy, satisfying alternative. My husband LOVES this cereal. He even said it tastes better than his beloved Honey Nut Cheerios. It seems like every time I turn around I'm making a new batch, because it goes so quickly! It has quickly become a breakfast staple in our house! We love it  with almond or coconut milk. Delish!


Nut Granola Breakfast Cereal

1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw pecans
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened dried blueberries
1/2 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
1/4 cup hemp hearts
1/4 cup ground flax
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup water




Preheat oven to 300°

Coarsely chop the nuts by hand or with a food processor. (If using food processor, process eat nut separately)

Put chopped nuts in a large bowl. Add the chia seeds, dried fruit, hemp hearts, flax, coconut, honey, maple syrup, and water.

Mix until all ingredients until well moistened.

Place nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 45 minutes or until nuts are brown, stirring nuts around every 15 minutes.

Place on a separate cookie sheet until cool.

Store in an air tight container.

*Makes about 3 cups of cereal
*DF/GF/SF







The Journey Begins!

Wednesday, May 30, 2012 - Posted by Leah Bent at 8:08 PM
Welcome to my little blog! I'm so excited to be sharing our journey with all of you. I'll be posting recipes I've tested, that my husband has really enjoyed and asked me to make again. I'm so lucky to have a man that will eat nearly ANYTHING I make. It really makes eating healthy a whole lot easier.

We both love chocolate a lot, so I'm going to share a healthy chocolate pudding recipe with you.  It's so rich, creamy and unexpectedly delicious. I added a little espresso powder since my husband loves coffee. Definitely a treat that should be enjoyed on a special occasion. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!


Chocolate Avocado Espresso Pudding

1 ripe avocado
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup almond milk
2 TBSP date paste
1 tsp espresso powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Peel and quarter the avocado.
Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.
Serve and enjoy!
(Homemade whipped cream optional)


*Makes 2 servings
*GF/V/DF/SF




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