Farmer’s Burrito

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Where does most people get inspiration from? Sometimes I think I’m the most random person on the planet. I was watching something on t.v. this morning where someone was making sweet potatoes with cumin. I cannot honestly tell you what they were making other than the fact that there was sweet potatoes and cumin going on. This recipe was a sweet collision of what I found in the grocery store and my hankering for something with a lot of flavor. And boy, did this deliver. My husband said…and I quote “This is the best meal I’ve had, maybe all summer, definitely one of your best recipes ever” 😀
I struggled to come up with a name for this concoction because I didn’t want you to feel limited to a burrito. You can just eat this “filling” alone or with lettuce (check out the notes at the end of the directions for some ideas). I used a gluten free tortilla shell, and I’m still in search for the best one…perhaps I’ll just make my own.

This recipe made about 6 large burritos for us!
Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato, small cubed
1 lb chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 cup cooked quinoa
fresh spinach
taco sauce or salsa of choice
olive oil

Seasoning:
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the seasoning in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, drizzle the sweet potatoes with olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) and toss. Add 1/2 of the prepared seasoning. Spread onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Next to the sweet potatoes on the same baking sheet, add the chopped red onion. Bake for a total of 30 minutes.
4. After 10 minutes of cooking the sweet potatoes, add the chicken to the oven. Drizzle olive oil over both sides of the chicken. Sprinkle the remaining seasoning over the chicken. Bake for a total of 20 minutes or until the chicken is done.
5. Shred the chicken using two forks immediately after removing from oven.
6. Assemble the farmer’s burrito starting with the fresh spinach, sweet potato and onion, cooked quinoa, chicken, and sauce or salsa of choice.

Notes:
**You can use your favorite tortilla shell, lettuce wrap, eat over a bed of arugula, or just enjoy the filling as is!

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Sea Salt Brownies

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Well hello August! You’ve come and nearly gone…how dare you! We could all use a little more chocolate in our life don’t you think? Regardless of the time of year! So whether your heading back to school, squeezing in one last summer getaway or just needing a break from all those fruity desserts…check out the newest sweet treat at our wholesome table.

Let’s talk about texture. I know it’s difficult to get a light and fluffy texture when cooking with gluten or dairy. For all your Paleo followers, I’ve found very few recipes that I actually would consider “light and fluffy” such as this recipe. I present to you a reason to celebrate! I’ve not only found a GREAT brownie recipe, but this can be transformed into a cake. What?! I’ve had plenty of fudgy brownies in my dairy free/gluten free life, but the cakey consistency thees brownies give…well that is another story. Quite rare to come by! So not only am I giving you a brownie recipe, but a delicious chocolate cake recipe as well. Or cup cakes! The possibilities are endless.

If you do make this recipe as a cake of some sort, I would omit the additional salt and chocolate chips and top with a frosting or glaze. I’m still trying to find a good frosting recipe, so unfortunately I cannot leave one for you, but I’ll let you know when I do!

Another note— You can use a different type of smooth nut or seed butter, but almond butter is my favorite for this recipe. I prefer coconut sugar but you can substitute brown sugar.

 

Ingredients:
1 cup almond flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup almond butter (smooth)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips (such as Enjoylife)
sea salt for sprinkling on top

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Whisk the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt in a large bowl and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the melted coconut oil, almond butter, coconut sugar and maple syrup until well combined. Add vanilla extract.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips, leaving out a handful to sprinkle on top.
5. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish. Smooth out batter then top with chocolate chips and sea salt.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Enjoy!

Soft-Baked Almond Flour Cookies

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Summer days are for loosing track of the time and not really knowing what day of the week it is. I was just telling my husband the other day how I feel like I’m in a bubble this summer and it’s quite incredible. Mommy-hood is nothing like I expected it to be and I feel like all those pictures of mommies in my head is nothing like I feel. I have an overwhelming love for my precious baby, but not like I’ve crossed over to a different world. Every time I look at him I just think, do you really want us to be your parents? I feel as if I’m given this large task to care for this angel of a baby and I’m so undeserving of such privilege. How do I live each day making his world better, taking care of my husband, keeping the house, and still get enough coffee(but not too much to make me crazy) to keep me awake to do it all? Well making some delicious soft-baked cookies is a great start.
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Ingredients:
2 cups almond flour
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Add the coconut oil and maple syrup (the coconut oil should not be melted). Mix until combined. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk together until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, add the almond flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet minute and stir just until combined.
4. Scoop tablespoon-size cookies onto prepared baking sheet. Add chocolate chips on top.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 7 days.

Sweet Potato Pad Thai

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I love when I randomly find a recipe that I have all the ingredients for in the house:D This recipe was a creation that happened a little more organically rather than planned..and boy am I glad it happened! I love Thai food, well I’ve only ever had pad Thai, but every version I’ve tried has been delicious. This one is free from any grains and Paleo friendly.

If you follow me on Instagram (do it if you don’t :)—mywholesometable) you may have seen the video I did on my recent Target finds. I used the cashew butter I purchased there for the sauce. You could use almond butter but I absolutely loved the cashew buttery taste in the sauce. The Pad Thai is without MSG, a common ingredient in Thai food. There is a great variety of sweet and savory with the veggies. The whole time I was making this recipe I kept thinking “this combo will either be delicious or we may be having dinner out tonight” but thankfully it was not only good…but blog worthy!

On another sweet note, I made sweet potato noodles for the first time. Is there anything a sweet potato cannot do? The answer is no because it is simply the best vegetable on the planet. If you disagree, come over and I’ll make you the plethora of sweet potato recipes that we are addicted to. I’m not always this confident, but this is a keeper!!

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast
1 large sweet potato, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup frozen peas, defrosted
2 carrots, julienned
1 cup shredded red cabbage
½ cup slivered almonds
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons Coconut oil
Sauce:
½ cup cashew butter (almond butter would work too)
â…“ cup almond or coconut milk
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
1 clove crushed garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Juice of ½ a lime

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with foil.
2. Cut the chicken into long strips, about 1 thick, be sure to keep everything the same size.Place on baking sheet.
3. Prepare the sweet potato noodles. I used a spiralizer to do this-if you don’t have one, cut into small julienne pieces. Spread out onto one of the baking sheets.
4. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and sweet potato noodles. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Bake in the oven, for 20-25 minutes. Flip the sweet potatoes once at the half-way point.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by mixing all ingredients in a food processor.
7. In a medium skillet, heat coconut oil. Cook the carrots until tender, adding defrosted peas at the end (cook for another 1 minute or two).
8. Remove the chicken and cut into bite size pieces.
9. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, sweet potato noodles, carrots, peas, shredded cabbage and sauce. Top with basil and slivered almonds. Enjoy:) Makes about 4 servings.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

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image2I’ve worked at many different restaurants ever since I was 16 and boy have I learned A LOT! My first dinner I ever made was a penne ala vodka that was inspired from one of the restaurants I worked at. Although our diets have changed from the heavy cream sauces and pasta–I have found an alternative that I will be sharing at some point of a dairy and gluten free version. Anyways… Last summer I worked at at Asian fusion restaurant.This summer I was inspired to use various Asian flavors without compromising my food “morals”. This recipe is full of flavor, sweet and sour, without a bunch of hidden additives or preservatives. I was nervous to taste this once I made it because I’ve made plenty of “copy-cat” recipes that aren’t nearly as tasty as take-out. You just have to trust me, this is a good one. My husband, who isn’t a big fan of Asian food loved it. And I loved it…someone who is a BIG fan of Asian food. Bottom line…it’s a crowd pleaser! I’ve added a few optional ingredients that I used and you’ll see that from my picture.

Ingredients:
Chicken:
1 lb. chicken breast
2 eggs
3/4 cup tapioca flour
salt and pepper
1/2 coconut oil

Sauce:
1/2 cup honey
5 tbsp coconut amino
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Optional:
red pepper
scallions
sesame seeds
red pepper flakes

Directions:
1. Prepare the sauce by mixing together the sauce ingredients and set aside.
2. Cube the chicken breast and sprinkle with salt and pepper, set aside.
3. Heat coconut oil in a large wok or skillet over medium heat.
4. Beat the egg and place in a bowl.
5. In another bowl, place the tapioca starch.
6. Dip the chicken in the egg then the tapioca starch. .Do until all chicken is properly coated.
7. Fry the chicken in the coconut oil until all sides are brown and the chicken is cooked. Don’t over crowd the wok/skillet. Drain any oil left over.
8. Add the sauce to the wok/skillet until boiling then reduce to simmer about 10 minutes. If you want to add red pepper, add now while the sauce and chicken is simmering.
9. Top with scallions, red pepper flakes or sesame seeds if desired. Plate and enjoy! Serve with cauliflower rice, brown rice, or mixed vegetables.

 

Apple Pear and Blueberry Crisp

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I think it comes as no surprise my love for baking, but I have really been enjoying it lately. I don’t know if it’s my nesting kicking in while I wait for this baby to arrive—but I loved making this crisp! The recipe is so simple and satisfying to make! Crisp seem to be most popular during the fall and I’ve seen some berry crisp make appearances during the summer, but why limit yourself??? I thought this combination of fruit was a bit different than what I usually do and thought you would like it! In the past, I typically make a crumble topping but changed things up when I found this idea to use granola. I used my own homemade granola which is THE best, if I do say so myself!

As pictured, I used my favorite coconut ice cream to provide a sweet side to the crumble. The crisp isn’t overly sweet and only uses a bit of honey or maple syrup to sweeten things up!

image1 (1)Ingredients:

4 apples (I used granny smith), peeled, cored and sliced
4 pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup honey or maple syrup
2 teaspoons coconut flour
2 cups granola
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Optional: crushed pecans or walnuts.

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Grease a 9×13 pan and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the apples, pears, and blueberries.
  4. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, lemon juice, salt, honey or maple syrup. Pour over fruit. Sprinkle the coconut flour over the fruit. Mix in nuts if desired.
  5. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the fruit mixture begins to bubble. Meanwhile, prepare the granola mixture by combining the coconut oil and granola.
  6. Remove the pan from the oven and top with granola.
  7. Continue to cook for 15 minutes.
  8. Serve and enjoy!

 

Loaded Grilled Chicken

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Can you smell the grill???? It’s that time of the year again!!! I’m so excited to have the spring weather and spring food! It doesn’t come to many as a surprise that many tend to eat healthier in the warmer weather. Grilling is such a great way to cook delicious food without excess oil, butter, or other fattening additives that we tend to use when we saute or fry. This recipe is great because you can have it started and finished in 20 minutes! I’ve timed it! Fresh herbs are great this time of year and, if you’re like me, you’ll grow them right on your front porch and have them whenever you like! Top this chicken with some fresh parsley or basil to give it a fresh wake up!

Ingredients:
1 1/2-2 lbs. chicken breast, boneless skinless
10 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
1 lb. bacon, chopped
1 leek, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Season chicken with a generous amount of salt and pepper and grill chicken on prepared grill.
2. Cook bacon over stove top until done in a medium skillet. Remove most of the bacon fat, leaving just enough to saute the mushrooms and leek. Remove bacon from skillet.Cook the mushrooms and leeks until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Return the bacon to the skillet and cook for a minute longer to let the flavors combine.
3. Top the cooked, grilled chicken with vegetables and bacon. Add fresh herbs if desired or fresh lemon juice.
Enjoy:)

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

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Spring time means lots of carrots. Carrots roasted in the oven, fresh raw carrots with hummus, or carrot cakes. I came across this recipe and love how simple these cupcakes are! There is something about cupcakes in the spring time. Am I the only one? There is so much freshness and color in the spring and the bright orange of these cupcakes just seems to fit right in! Mother’s day is coming up and this would be a great addition to brunch or your family dinner!
The cupcakes are sweet enough to eat alone or dust with some freshly grated carrots or lemon zest. I added a coconut glaze (whipped coconut with confectioner’s sugar) and grated carrots to mine! Enjoy:)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin tins (10) with liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix almond and coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside
3. In a separate bowl, mix the coconut oil, maple syrup, honey, eggs, and crushed pineapple.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold in the carrots and nuts.
5. Pour into muffin tins and bake in the oven for 25-28 minutes or until the center comes out clean.
6. Cool completely before topping with your favorite glaze or frosting.

Top 10 Grocery Store Products

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Top 10 Grocery Products:

  1. Coconut milk – So Delcious

My husband and I go through about a gallon of this milk a week. This is a staple for everything from baked goods to smoothies to cereal to cream sauce and everything inbetween. I have been buying this for the past 2-3 years and love it so much. I don’t love everything to taste overly coconuty and I feel this milk does a great job of providing a dairy free alternative without a strong flavor.

BENEFITS:

This coconut milk is organic, non-gmo, dairy free, vegan, and gluten free. It does not contain carrageenan. Much less sugar than a typical cow’s milk. Thirty-percent of your daily Vitamin D. Seventy calories per serving.  

  1. Mini chocolate chips – Enjoy Life

I cannot say enough about these chocolate chips. I’ve made numerous recipes with these chips and many time for others who eat dairy chocolate. I think this is one of the best dairy free brands on the market and I cannot say enough about Enjoy Life. They carry a variety of chocolate chips from chunks to dark chocolate morsels.

BENEFITS:

Dairy-free, nut-free, soy free, certified gluten free, non-gmo, casein free.

  1. Peanut Butter-Teddy’s

This was a hard decision, but I decided to only include one nut butter on this top ten list. I typically have 3 jars at home between my almond, sunflower, or peanut butter. I love trying out new peanut butters but I always return to my good ol’ standby. My favorite peanut butter cookie recipe always turns out THE best when I use this peanut butter.

BENEFITS:

Non-gmo peanut butter. You can buy a variety of peanut butters, salted/unsalted, creamy/crunchy, etc. I typically buy the salted crunchy option peanut butter. Organic options as well!

  1. Apple Cider Vinegar- Braggs

You don’t have to look too far to discover the benefits of apple cider vinegar. I do have to say, I jumped on this bandwagon about 2-3 years ago, when I turned our ordinary table into a wholesome one. I primarily use this for salads but have used in occasionally for baking and cooking.

BENEFITS:

Raw, organic, with the ‘mother’ (naturally connected to strand-like chains of protein enzymes molecules), unfiltered, and contains no preservatives. Made with organic apples. Naturally gluten free.

  1. Rice Cakes-Lundenberg

Although I haven’t tasted many rice cakes in my life, these are the best. Rice cakes that I haven’t been a fan of were too light and tasted like puffed rice cereal in a cake. I find the texture of these rice cakes to be crunchy without being hard…if that makes sense! I typically eat them with almond butter or sunbutter. My favorite way to eat them is cold, I have no clue how I even discovered this but I cover the rice cake with whatever topping and place it in the freezer for 10 minutes or so. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

BENEFITS:

These rice cakes are sold in a variety of flavors. I tend to buy the lightly salted (the pregnancy is making me love salt so I tend to reach for this one). Organic, non-gmo, gluten free, dairy free, and made with brown rice and sea salt.

  1. Almond Flour- Bob’s Red Mill

I use this flour on a weekly basis. Whether I’m making chicken parm or blueberry scones, I love this almond flour. The consistency is great and works beautifully with any recipe that calls for almond flour.

BENEFITS:

High protein! Gluten free, dairy free, and vegan and easy to find in any grocery store these days. I buy it at Sam’s club and get it much cheaper than at a typical grocery store.

  1. Good Soap-Whole Foods

The limitation to this is that it’s only found at Whole Foods (to my knowledge) but it’s worth the trip. You can spend so much money on ‘natural’ soaps, but why bother when you can get this amazing soap. We have been buying this soap for the past year and use it almost exclusively as our body soap.

BENEFITS:

The price is unbeatable, 3 soaps for $6 and change I believe. Good Soap comes in a variety of scents, all smelling so fresh and wonderful. Good Soap has one ingredient-shea butter. Nothing artificial or harmful for the body.

8.Unsweetened Coconut Yogurt -So Delicious

I am very picky when it comes to yogurt. To be honest, I probably won’t enjoy this yogurt on it’s own, but I add a bunch of goodness to it to make it delicious. First-I always add fruit, typically a berry of some kind. Second-cinnamon followed by coconut flakes or mini chocolate chips (Enjoy Life). Sometimes I’ll add my homemade granola as well.

BENEFITS:

Yogurts tend to be filled with sugar. This yogurt is unsweetened so you can monitor your sweet intake. I typically add fruit and cinnamon to sweeten it up a bit. The calcium in this yogurt is 50% of your daily intake. This yogurt is dairy free, gluten free, vegan, and non-gmo…the list goes on but that’s the big ones that make me a big fan.

9.Brown Rice Pasta-Trader Joes

My favorite brown rice pasta is from Trader Joes. Again, this is one of a few top ten that you have to purchase at a specific store, but it’s worth it. No mushy-gluten free pasta here! If you follow my blog often, you know how much I love pasta!

BENEFITS:

Gluten free and made with 100% brown rice. No other ingredients! The price is great and is sold by the pound. I’ve found some brown rice pastas to be sold by 12 ounces or something…which for my family, is annoying and I like to use the whole pound for most meals.

  1. Frozen Organic Mango Chunks -Trader Joes

I’ve tried many types of frozen fruits. I make smoothies multiple times throughout the week and love to try out different varieties. This is by far one of the best frozen fruits to add to my smoothie. The consistency the mangos give the smoothie is so smooth and creamy.

BENEFITS:

Frozen Organic Mango Chunks are 100% organic and are delicious. I don’t have much else I can say because they are just a pure chunk of mango love!

Braised Beef Short Ribs

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Ingredients:
2 lbs beef short ribs
1 1/2 cups good red wine
1 cup organic beef broth
2 tbsp organic tomato paste
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 springs rosemary
1 yellow onion, sliced
olive oil for sauteing
salt and pepper

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on high heat for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper on all sides of the short ribs. Brown in the dutch oven on all sides. Set aside.
2.Add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the dutch oven. Add onions and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until slightly tender.
3. Add the minced garlic to the dutch oven, stirring constantly to be sure not to burn the garlic, about 1 minute.
4. Add the tomato paste and stir until onions and garlic are coated.
5. Return the short ribs to the dutch oven along with the wine, beef broth and rosemary.
5. Cover and cook in preheated oven for 2 1/2 hours.
6. Serve with rice, potatoes, or roasted vegetables.