Homemade Taco Seasoning

So, when you look at this long list of ingredients to make a homemade taco seasoning, you might think that it looks similar in length to the pre-packaged version.  But, I promise this is much healthier without the MSG, additives, and preservatives.  I mix this up and only use a little at a time, so it goes a long way.  Now you know everything that went into your seasoned food and can rest assured it's processed free.

2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne
2 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
4 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Mix everything together and store in a jar or air tight container.  If you like things more spicy, double the chili powder and maybe even the red pepper flakes.  I can tell you my husband would love that, but I have to make this not too spicy for the kids. 

Healthy Hot Chocolate with Coconut Whipped Cream

My daughter loves to have what we call a "mommy sleepover" when my husband is out of town.  We stay up later than her usual bed time and do something fun like paint pictures, watch a movie or play games.  Then we cuddle up on my bed with a cup of hot chocolate before we go to sleep.  I must admit, that when we do this, she absolutely expects the hot chocolate or the night would end in tears.  This was a challenge when we decided to go processed free because I didn't want to disappoint her, but I also didn't want her to have all that processed sugar in her system either, not to mention whatever else was added.  I set out to find a substitute, but all the recipes I tried were never quite what I wanted.  I found that I needed to take a little of each of them and come up with my own. 

1 cup almond milk
1/2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla

You can also add 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. of cardamom for a more sophisticated hot chocolate.  It has a great taste, but just a little bit of texture.

Heat the almond milk then add the remaining ingredients.  Then, you have one of two options.  Either put it in the blender for a few seconds, but be careful as steam will rise.  Or you can do what I prefer and use an immersion blender which I think is easier, faster, no worries about steam, and quick clean up.

Coconut Whipped Cream

1 can coconut milk (put in the refrigerator for at least a few hours, overnight is better)
a wholesome sweetener of your choice - sucanat, coconut sugar, stevia, erythritol, etc.

Open the can of coconut milk very carefully, you don't want to shake it!  Scrape off all the solidified coconut cream that has risen to the top and put it in a bowl.  You won't use the liquid underneath.  Beat the cream a little then add some sweetener to your taste, that's it! 

I wanted to explain just why this hot chocolate is so much healthier.  Of course taking out the refined sugar speaks for itself, but unsweetened chocolate is extremely healthy in small amounts.  There are all kinds of health benefits that I will explain sometime in more detail, but all of these are negated when sugar and dairy is added.  By using a nut milk as the base, replacing the sugar, and using coconut whipped cream, you have done all the right things to reap the benefits of this super food - and your end result was tasty too!  

Whole Wheat Biscuits

Do you want biscuits that are healthy and tasty too?  No way... just kidding, yes I do!  How about fast and easy too?  Sign me up.  Here is my processed free and fast version of biscuits.  It uses my homemade baking mix again and can be made in two different ways depending on the end result you want. 

2 1/4 cups whole wheat baking mix (found here)
2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Mix ingredients and roll out to about a 1/2 inch thickness.  I like to roll them out on wax paper that I wet on one side to keep it from sliding on the counter, then sprinkle some whole wheat flour down and some on the top to keep it from sticking to the paper or your rolling pin.  Cut out with a round biscuit cutter or upside down water glass.  Place them on a silpat or lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  This will make 8 to 10 biscuits depending on the size you cut out.

You can make these even easier by skipping the roll and cut out steps, and dropping them by spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet to make them drop biscuits. 

Easy enough for any night of the week and much healthier than the store bought tube kind.  It's good to have nourishing food that is as homey as biscuits!

Yummy Whole Wheat Pancakes

My kids love to make pancakes on the weekends with their dad.  This was a tradition in his house growing up and something we had to continue with our children.  We used to buy just boxed pancake mixes, partly because they were easy and convenient and partly because this is how my husband cooks.  So, I wanted to give him something that was still as easy as a box mix, but much healthier!  At first, I tried to find a store bought version that was processed free and when that failed, I started making my own mix.  I keep it in the freezer so we always have it on hand.  Here is how to use it to make yummy, healthy breakfast.  Let the weekend pancakes begin!

2 cups whole wheat baking mix (found here)
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Mix everything together and make the pancakes as usual.  These taste amazing and are great to freeze for quick pancakes any morning.  Top with real maple syrup, berries with homemade whipped cream, etc.  Easy, delicious, and processed free!

Whole Wheat Crepes

Don't crepes just seem so fancy!  I was lucky enough to grow up eating crepes as a standard in our breakfast rotation.  Yes, my mom can cook!  And when I was younger, I had the opportunity to live in Europe for a while where there are always little crepe stands that make them fresh right in front of you then slather it with yumminess like nutella or powdered sugar.  Okay, nothing about this sounds processed free, but I'm getting there.  First, let me tell you how easy these are to make.  If you have a whisk and a pan, you can make crepes.  Secondly, you can have your cake and eat it too (or crepes rather) if you swap out only a few ingredients to make this guilt free.

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt

Beat all the ingredients together and try and remove as many lumps as you can - ideally there would be no lumps, but don't worry if there are a few.  Spray a cooking pan with coconut oil (I use my misto - read about it here) and pour in some batter right in the middle.

Then, lift the pan off the burner and swirl it around until it becomes a larger, flatter circle.  You can see the difference in these two pictures.  I usually pour in a bit more batter than the picture shows to be able to swirl it and coat the entire bottom of the pan, but these were for my kids, so I made them a little smaller.  When it is no longer glossy or only a little in the center, flip it gently with a spatula.

You'll see the edges start to curl up when it's done.  Transfer it to a plate and cover the stack with a clean kitchen towel or tin foil to keep them warm. 

And here is the best part - filling them and devouring!  Some of my favorite fillings include:

• berries and banana slices with homemade whipped cream (cream with sucanat/coconut sugar/eryithritol/stevia)
• butter with homemade powdered sugar (recipe here) and fresh squeezed lemon wedges
• homemade nutella (I'll post my recipe some time) with a sprinkle of nuts
• fruit or all fruit preserves with cream cheese or ricotta cheese
• maple syrup (the kids like this for sweetness)
• homemade chocolate sauce (so it is processed free) with berries

And since this recipe doesn't call for sugar of any kind, you can also use them for savory crepes in which the filling possibilities are endless too.  Here are a few ideas:

• scrambled eggs with meat, cheese, and sauteed veggies
• asparagus, ham, and Gruyere/goat cheese/Swiss
• chicken in a cream sauce
• shrimp/chicken/salmon with sauteed veggies, garlic, capers and lemon
• sandwich-type fillings with spinach
• sausage, sauteed apple and Gruyere

These are just the tip of the iceberg for filling possibilities.  But, now you know you can make them processed free and from scratch yourself.  Go ahead and let everyone be impressed!

Healthy Homemade Powdered Sugar

Many of my past favorite recipes have used powdered sugar in some way for sweetness, and until I could find an acceptable alternative, these recipes where on the shelf.  But, not any more!  Here is a processed free, healthier version of this pantry staple.  You could actually make regular powdered sugar the same way, but we are of course not doing that. 

1 cup sucanat (or palm sugar or erythritol)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot

Put both ingredients in a food processor and pulse until everything is combined and very fine in texture. 

This is what mine looked like in my mini food processor.  Because the sucanat is brown, the powdered sugar is a light brown too.  If this throws you off, use the erythritol because it is white.  I personally like the whole food-ness of the sucanat or the palm sugar, so the brown shade of those doesn't really bother me.  I guess it may depend on what you are using it for.  I also prefer the cornstarch to the arrowroot, but you could use either.  I do however use organic cornstarch since corn is a highly genetically modified food (GMO) and I want to stay away from that as much as possible.  If you use the sucanat version for an icing or glaze where it's just milk and vanilla added, your glaze will be brown and have a little bit of a molasses flavor to it.  My kids absolutely love it!  One final note, if you use coconut/palm sugar or erythritol you may need to use a little more to achieve the same sweetness you want in your recipes.  I hope you like using a healthy powdered sugar.  Have fun with this! 

Sucanat

I have mentioned in some recipes that I use sucanat in place of refined white sugar.  I thought I should explain what it is and how to use it.  Sucanat stands for sugar cane natural - it is organic whole cane sugar.  Yes, it's sugar, but it is not processed the same way white sugar is.  This kind of sugar is dehydrated at low heat and contains the molasses still in the original cane juice.  The molasses is where many of the nutrients from the original cane juice are found, and what your body needs to properly digest sugar.  This is why it is brown.  You may wonder if brown sugar that has molasses added to make it that way is just as healthy as whole cane sugar, and it's not.  They add such a small amount of molasses that has been heated to kill most of the nutrients anyway that it is definitely not the same! 

You can find packages of sucanat in some health food stores or in their bulk food sections.  You can also buy it online, but make sure it is called sucanat, rapadura or organic whole cane sugar.  Use it cup for cup in your recipes that call for sugar.  The only noticeable difference is the color.  It may make some recipes look just slightly different if they are a light color, but for most, it won't matter.

This brings me to another point, there are several terms on the market that might make you think you are buying something healthy or the same as sucanat when they are really not.  Beware of "evaporated cane juice/sugar" or sugar in the raw.  These are almost identical to refined white sugar and NOT what you want to put in your body if you are trying to be processed free.