Berry Yogurt Parfait

 

I'm about to have a little love fest of photos for my berry yogurt parfait!  It has been my very favorite breakfast of the last few months, and I'd even go as far as calling it a dessert - it's that good!  

 

It's chalked full of yumminess without any refined sugar, which makes it processed free.  This comes together in no time (especially if you use berries that don't need to be cut up) and puts a smile on my face every morning I eat it.  Now that's worth waking up for!

 

plain organic whole milk yogurt (I like goat's milk yogurt)
organic heavy cream
vanilla crème liquid stevia
fresh berries
coconut sugar and cinnamon blend (see mine here)

Put enough yogurt in a bowl for one serving.  Pour a splash of cream in and about 5-6 drops of vanilla crème stevia.  Stir to combine.  Top with fresh berries and sprinkle on your desired amount of coconut sugar and cinnamon. 

 

Here are my favorite brands of yogurt and stevia:

 



 

 

Bean Pasole

Everyone needs a few recipes that can come almost entirely from the pantry.  This is one of those recipes - you can basically have everything on hand you need to make it without a shopping trip.  This is something I keep in my hip pocket for a day when I don't feel like cooking, haven't been to the store, or don't have time to babysit the process.  The basics of this soup came to me from my friend Amanda.  She delivered this to my house one day when I was horribly sick.  My whole family loved it and I asked her for the recipe.  It only took minor changes to make this processed free and now we eat it all the time! 

 

2 - 15 oz. cans hominy (rinsed and drained)

2 - 15 oz. cans of beans (pinto, navy, kidney, etc.) I usually choose 2 different kids to look pretty

32 oz. container (4 1/2 cups) reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth

16 oz. jar of thick and chunky medium salsa (no sugar added)

2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or 6 Tbsp. milk + 3 Tbsp. butter)

 

optional toppings: cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, chopped cilantro, etc.

 

Put all the ingredients, except the cream, into a crockpot and cook on low 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.  30 minutes before serving, pour in the cream, stir, and recover.  Serve as is or add some additional toppings. 

 

Truth be told, I almost never add any other toppings because I haven't been to the store to get them.  Sometimes it's just a sprinkle of cheese.  You could also easily add some leftover roast, pork, or chicken to this if you are looking to use up a small amount of cooked meat.  This is very forgiving and ridiculously fast and easy.  

 

Chicken and Quinoa Lettuce Wraps

 

I found the idea for filling lettuce wraps with quinoa on pinterest and thought it was a brilliant idea!  My husband is supposed to go grain free for three months and I've been trying to put together recipes and meal plans that include three criteria: processed free, grain free, and delicious!  These lettuce wraps absolutely qualify.  These are also very kid friendly which is a bonus.

 

3 large chicken breasts

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil or regular sesame oil

4 Tbsp. liquid aminos or low sodium soy sauce

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp. freshly grated ginger or 1/4 tsp. ground ginger

 

2 heads of lettuce - Boston, bib or butter

3 cups cooked quinoa (here's how I make it in the rice cooker)

shredded carrots

shredded or sliced cucumber - I like English cucumber because they have less seeds

chopped cilantro

peanut sauce

 

Combine the olive oil, sesame oil, liquid aminos, garlic, and ginger in a gallon size zip top bag.  Add the chicken breast and seal it up.  Squish around the marinade ingredients so that the chicken is completely coated and let it sit in the refrigerator for about 20 to 30 minutes or longer.  While you wait, cut the veggies, put them on a platter, and make the peanut sauce (here's my easy two ingredient recipe).  Cook the chicken breasts in a couple tablespoons of coconut oil.  Then move to a cutting board and let them rest for a couple minutes before cutting them.  You can cut them in strips or cubes - doesn't matter.  I consider this an assemble yourself dinner, but for the kids, they liked everything separate with no sauce.  Whatever suits your fancy!

 

 

 

Quinoa in the Rice Cooker

 

My life just got even easier the day I learned you could make quinoa in a rice cooker!  I know it's not that complicated on the stove top, but how much better is it to throw everything in and just walk away.  That's my favorite kind of cooking!  Plus, this is ready in about 15 minutes, so I can turn it on, prep the rest of the meal and in no time everything is ready to eat.  Here are the basics, but you can play around with the ratios to make this how you prefer.

 

1 cup rinsed quinoa

2 cups liquid

1/2 tsp. salt

 

Do not skip the step of rinsing the quinoa or it will be kind of bitter.  Just pour it in a fine strainer and rinse in the sink - this will only take you about 30 seconds.  As far as the liquid goes, I use one cup water and one cup chicken stock, but you could use all water, all chicken or vegetable stock, etc.  Dump it all in the rice cooker, put on the lid, and press the button.  Done to perfection!

 

If you are trying to go grain free, this is a fantastic substitute for rice in just about any dish.  It's also good all by itself.  Get creative and add all kinds of chopped veggies, vinaigrettes, seeds, nuts, cheese crumbles, etc.  Plus, quinoa is high in protein - great for my whole family!

2 Ingredient Peanut Sauce

This peanut sauce is ridiculously easy - I mean, my two year old can make this!  Technically it's more than two ingredients, but you only need to add two things to the bowl.  I love that this is processed free, but not taste free and super healthy.  Anyone want peanut sauce last minute?  Coming right up!

Organic Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (just peanuts and salt)
Braggs Ginger and Sesame Salad Dressing

Combine equal parts of both peanut butter and salad dressing.  Stir to combine - that's it! 

You can heat this up if you want it warm or serve it cold.  If you want some texture, you could use chunky peanut butter or add some chopped peanuts after you make it.  If you prefer more peanut taste, add more and visa versa for the ginger sesame dressing.  Serve this with whatever you like.  Here are a few ideas - lettuce wraps, chicken satay, pasta, stir fry, baste salmon etc.  Have fun trying this on whatever sounds good!

Honey Popcorn

A friend of mine shared her family recipe for a sweet popcorn treat.  She told me they have always made a melted butter and honey combination that they pour on popcorn for a special snack or treat.  I loved this idea because who doesn't like a salty-sweet combo?  Plus, this is a processed free snack/treat I don't mind giving my kids in the place of caramel or kettle corn.  My family goes nuts for this!  Thank you Jody for sharing!!!

1/2 cup un-popped popcorn
4 Tbsp. butter (1/2 stick)
3 heaping Tbsp. raw honey
1/4 tsp. salt

I use an air popper to make the popcorn, but you can pop it on the stove if you prefer.  While it's popping, I grab a very small pot and melt the butter.  This will only take about a minute.  Then stir in the honey and salt.  Pour this over the popped popcorn and toss to evenly distribute. 

I have also made this with coconut oil instead of the butter and this resembles much more of a sweet, less salty treat - more caramel corn like.  This is also really good if you swap the honey for pure maple syrup!

Cauliflower Leek Soup

 

I saw the idea of this soup on pinterest, but there were no exact measurements to recreate it.  I love discovering recipes that include more vegetables and can be processed free, so I played around with this until I figured out a soup I liked and could recreate.  This is super fast and easy, but you don't have to admit that if you don't want to!

3 Tbsp. butter or coconut oil
8 oz. bag of clean leeks chopped, or 2 leeks cleaned and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 head of cauliflower, cut into smaller pieces
32 oz. package of chicken or vegetable broth (4 1/2 cups)
salt and pepper

In a pot, saute the leeks in the butter/coconut oil until soft.  Add the garlic and saute another minute. Add the cauliflower and chicken broth and cover the pot.  Cook until the cauliflower is soft, about 10 minutes.  Uncover and blend in the pot with an immersion blender or in small batches in a regular blender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  This will need some salt, so don't forget it!

You can add some toppings if you want.  My suggestions would be a drizzle of olive oil, freshly grated parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese, maybe a sprinkle of bacon or freshly chopped parsley.  This soup is good on it's own, but looks fancier with toppings.