Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:


3-4 Organic Chicken Breasts
2 onions
1 TBS Onion Powder
1 TBS Garlic Powder
1 can Coconut Milk
1 can Mild Green Chilies
 reserved broth from your chicken or 1 can organic low sodium chicken broth
Tortillas ( I use Brown Rice Tortillas from the health food store)  If you do not have a problem with wheat, you can use whole grain tortillas here.

Food For Thought

Healthy ingredients y'all!  If you can omit the sour cream and gobs of cheese, you gain all the health benefits of coconut. Coconut helps control weight, decreases the risk of joint inflammation, helps in lowering blood pressure, helps maintain a healthy immune system, relaxes muscles and nerves, helps to prevent anemia, maintains blood sugar.  The benefits are numerous for using coconut milk instead of dairy products.  What's even worse for your body are all the recipes that call for using canned soups like Cream of Mushroom Soup.  Check the label and see what's all in there.  Ask yourself, is this really good for my body?  They are loaded with sodium, and health destroying chemicals such as MSG.  I don't mind using dairy products on occasion,  but it is always in moderation.  If you have sinus problems,  allergies, inflammation, digestive problems and headaches, you may want to consider a dairy free diet.  After all, we are humans not baby cows.  Milk is made for baby cows.  Humans are the only species that drink another animals by product.  Just saying! This works for my diet not for everyone.  If you have no problems with dairy,  then dairy by all means use it.  Again, this blog is to show people healthier alternatives. 

Boiled chicken

Boil 2-4 chicken breasts with a white onion cut in half and season with salt and pepper (Or use a cooked rotisserie chicken)

Once the chicken is completely cooked, set aside and shred it up.

Saute about half a small white onion in a TBS coconut oil.

Saute 1 TBS Garlic powder  &  1 TBS onion powder with the onions

Then add about a cup or a cup and a half  of the broth from the chicken that you boiled to the pan

Mix 2 TSP cornstarch in cold water ( I use my  cooled down broth from the boiled chicken) and add to sauce…simmer for several minutes about 5 minutes to meld the flavors.  I like mine flavorful so I may add a bit more onion or garlic powder to taste.

Add a can of mild green chilies to the sauce and simmer about 5 minutes. ( I use mild for my kids otherwise I would use hot)

sauteing onions with broth

add coconut milk and green chilies

Spray baking dish with oil, and put about a ladle full of your cream sauce in the bottom of pan

Get your tortillas and place shredded chicken in each tortilla and roll up, place seam side down in baking dish.





***If your are a cheese eater, this is where you can add shredded cheese to the inside and roll it up.
****I try to use as little cheese as possible.  (I do not put cheese on my enchilada.)

I do top the enchiladas with shredded Organic Cheese for my family but just a small amount.  If you love cheese then go for it.

roll them up

seam side down

cover the enchiladas with the creamy green chili sauce.

Bake 350º for about 20 minutes until the sauce looks bubbly.

  Looking good and creamy!

These enchiladas are so creamy  and delicious.  Try them out.

 The kids gobbled them up.  Clayton had already finished and moved on to dessert at this point.  Ava was on seconds.  Steven asked if he could take the leftovers in his lunchbox the next day.

***Don't be afraid to try healthy recipes.  You have to change the way you think about food and break the addiction to sugar, sodium, and chemical infested food.  If I can do it, you can do it too!

My Little Veggie Stacked Enchilada

OK.  Now that I showed you that yummy chicken enchilada recipe, here is what I made myself.  I get tired of eating chicken and I love to eat veggies.  So, of course I made myself a little vegetarian enchilada.

I sautéed some diced squash, zucchini, and spinach with chili powder and cumin.  I layered the tortillas, sauce, and veggies in the ramekin, topped it with diced green chili and baked it along side the chicken enchiladas.  So simple.

I love this recipe. I could eat it everyday.

Try it out. If your family will not eat green chilies, them leave them out and put some other spices in there instead. Maybe some cumin or chili powder to give it some additional flavor.  Or you could just make it more garlicky with more sauteed garlic.  You can't go wrong.  So go ahead and serve it up…Lizzy Style!

Quick & Easy Fudge: Great Gift Idea

 It's Yummy, It's  Quick, and It's Easy!

Fudge goes along with the Happiness component of my blog.  In no shape, form or fashion is it Healthy!  It makes me smile and I sure do love it.  This is so easy and fun to make.  Have your kids join in on the fun.  It is delicious and quite addicting.  You have to live a little right?  Right!  I love homemade gifts, especially ones from the kitchen.



Ingredients:

3 cups of chocolate chips or any rich chocolate you like
1 can Sweetened Condensed milk
1/2 stick of butter
Nuts and marshmallows optional.
splash vanilla

In a glass bowl over boiling water ( double broiler) add chocolate chips and condensed milk.  Stir to keep from burning.  Once melted, add butter and vanilla.  Stir all together, make sure it is getting think and creamy and make sure not to burn it. ( you can also do this in the microwave.  I like it better on the cooktop)

line a 8x8 baking dish with foil and lightly butter it.  Pour the fudge into the pan.  I add one side of nuts, and the other side with marshmallows.  I press the ingredients quickly into the fudge before it sets up to much.

put in fridge for several hours or overnight.  I then take it and peel the foil off the back and cut into bite size pieces.  DELISH! You and your family will go crazy for this fudge!

I firmly press the nuts and marshmallows into the top of the fudge here instead of mixing it in.   That is so I don't have to divide the batches.  I'm all about less clean up!

Get some mason jars and fill them up.

Isn't this a pretty little treasure?
Serve it up…Lizzy style! With a big fat bow!

Great teacher gifts!

Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut with Cilantro Cream Sauce

Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut with Cilantro Cream Sauce

Ingredients: serves 2-4 depending on how big the fillets are

2 Halibut fillets

1 cup  raw unsalted macadamia nuts crushed or pulsed to fine pieces

1TBS of flour ( I use coconut flour)

1 cup cilantro

1 cup ( half can) of pure coconut milk

1-2 garlic cloves

salt & pepper

cooking spray ( I use Organic Coconut Oil Cooking Spray by : Spectrum Organics)

Oven proof skillet

Turn oven to broil

The sauce: blend in food processor or blender: cilantro, garlic, and coconut milk.  ( I have a tiny magic bullet that I use…just easier than the giant blender.  Pour sauce into a small pan and simmer for a few minutes till warm and creamy and garlic infuses with the coconut milk and cilantro.

The Halibut:

Place macadamia nuts and 1 TBS of flour in a bowl and mix.  Set aside

Get the Halibut fillets and spray them with cooking spray, season with sea salt & pepper.

Place the Halibut fillets in the nuts and firmly press them into the fish.  The cooking spray helps to make it stick.

Spray your skillet with oil, place fillets in hot  pan a sear them till the nuts start to brown, turn making sure skin side is down and place into the bottom rack of your oven under BROIL.  Keep the door cracked, it will only take about a minute or two for the fish to cook through depending on the thickness of the fillets.  Once it looks white and flakey, its done.  Be careful not to burn yourself.  USE OVEN MITTS to take the pan out of the oven.

pulsed nuts

Cilantro Cream Sauce

Browned Halibut

My plate.  Extra Broccoli and extra sauce. Yum!

If you like cilantro, this is the best sauce.  I dip my veggies into it and also use it as a salad dressing.  I double my batch and keep it in the fridge for several days.

• Health benefits of cilantro:  
• rich in antioxidants
• dietary fiber
• source of minerals such as: potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium
• rich in vitamins such as: riboflavin, niacin, vitamin-A, beta carotene, and vitamin-C.
• one of the richest sources of vitamin-K

In addition, Omega-3s are important for your body to run efficiently.  These important fatty acids are a key component to a health & vitality so try to get some in from natural sources.  Halibut is a great source.  It is light, flakey, and does not have any fishy taste at all.  It is delicious. 

FYI:    

• Omega-3s reduce inflammation, which is a key component in the process that turn cholesterol into artery-clogging plaques. It reduces blood pressure, prevents arthritis and promotes healthy brain function. Consumption of fatty fish provides major protection against renal cell carcinoma, the most common form of kidney cancer. 

so go ahead and serve it up…for YOUR vital life!

Coconut & Sweet Potato Crusted Chicken With Peanut Sauce

Ingredients: 
 Organic chicken breast strips or cut up breasts
2 cups of Sweet potato Chips crushed or food processed ( I use Terra chips)
1 cup shredded coconut
1-2 beaten eggs

Peanut Sauce:
1 TBS red curry paste
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup organic peanut butter
1 small lime juiced
1-2 cloves garlic
2-3 TBS honey to taste
blend in blender till smooth and creamy

Angel hair pasta  of choice ( I use Gluten free pasta here or you can serve on a salad)


For the chicken:

mix sweet potato chips &  coconut ( I pulse in my food processor but putting it in a plastic baggie is fine to combine it)

place coconut mixture in a bowl

place beaten eggs in a bowl

Dredge chicken in the the egg, then coconut mixture and press firmly to coat.

Place chicken in a heated skillet with oil. ( I use coconut oil).  brown the chicken on both sides about 3 -4 minutes per side till brown and crispy.


Peanut Sauce:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  I make Gluten free angel hair pasta  to place the chicken on and drizzle the sauce all over the noodles.  This is a great kid friendly recipe too!

Brownie meets Blondie

Gluten Free, Grain Free, & Super Low Sugar


Brownie Meets Blondie

Oh what a treat Ava got for her 10th birthday.  I decided to go off the normal path and combine a Blondie and Brownie mixed together.  I wasn't sure how this would go over with the kids since it has no ingredients that resemble traditional brownies.  But the verdict came in and it was a hit. It is  a denser version of brownies with a slight undertone of vanilla and cinnamon. They are unique yet tasty little treasures.

Ingredients          Turn oven to 350º


Brownie Chocolate layer
1 can no salt added Black Beans
2 TSP vanilla extract
10-15 plus drops of liquid Stevia ( use more for sweeter brownies, I like mine less sweet)
1/2 TSP cinnamon
2 TBS melted coconut oil
1/2 cup apple sauce ( I just use pre-portioned individual cups of applesauce no sugar added)
3 eggs
3 heaping TBS pure unsweetened Coco Powder
1/4 cup almond meal ( almond flour)
1/4 cup pure raw cane sugar  ( I usually omit this and just add more Stevia  or honey but most people like the taste of  sugar.  So you can try it either way)

place all ingredients in food processor and blend till completely smooth.

Blended Brownie and poured into the 8x8 pan

Grease an 8x8 pan or whatever size you have  9x12 would work too they would just be thinner.

Pour Brownie into pan.  Then clean food processor and make Blondie.

Blondie Vanilla Layer
(Can follow recipe above just omit coco powder and use white beans and add coconut flour)

1 can no salt added Navy beans or Great Northern Beans.
2 TSP Vanilla extract
10-15 plus drops liquid Stevia
1/2 Tsp cinnamon
2 TBS melted coconut oil
1/2 cup applesauce (individual cup no sugar added applesauce)
3 eggs
ADD 1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup pure cane sugar ( or more ***stevia and make them sugar free too)

***( I don't really like to add sugar so I normally just use Stevia and adjust the sweetness as I go.  Stevia is an all natural herbal sweetener that does not affect  glycemic index.  Not to mention, it comes from a herb…not man made in a laboratory)


Put all ingredients in food processor and blend till smooth.

see the navy beans! 

vanilla blondie layer

I add some white chocolate chocolate chips on top of the brownie layer before adding the vanilla layer

adding Blondie on top

Pour the brownie in a greased pan.  Then have Blondie meet Brownie.  Pour over the top and then swirl around and pull some of the brown dough up with a spoon in several areas and swirl.  I then sprinkle them with chocolate chips and place in a 350º oven .  I bake for 30-45 minutes or till my toothpick comes out clean.  Just make sure to check it around 30 minutes to see.  I live in high altitude so my baking times vary from most.

I use these chips

and  these chocolate chips

swirling the chocolate and vanilla together

swirled and toped with chocolate chips ready for oven

You know you wanna eat me! This treat is awesome served warm with some homemade ice cream!

 Ava loved her 10th birthday cake! Brownie meets Blondie.  I served it up with some homemade chocolate ice cream.  The kids cleaned their plates.  I mean literally, they were licking the plate clean.

This was after having seconds!

They were so cute trying to eat every last bite.  I normally don't think its good manners for them to lick their plates, but this was so darn cute.  I feel good when they enjoy their food, especially when I know there is some good nutritional value to it.

Give this a try.  These fiber rich tasty treats are a healthy alternative to the traditional sugar infested, sodium loaded, processed brownies that come out of a box.  That should not be considered real food in my opinion.  My recipe for Brownie meets Blondie are made from real food.  Yes, the texture isn't  exactly the  same  but they taste  just as good.  Eating healthy alternatives can change your taste for processed food.  The more real food you eat, the less you want processed food.  It's that simple.  So give them a try.  Jump outside your box once in a while and try something healthy, you might just like it!