Cauliflower Mushroom Rice is a delicious grain free and low-carb side to any dish. The prep is super easy with frozen riced cauliflower (which can be found at most grocery stores) and pre sliced mushrooms!
Mushrooms don’t just add awesome flavour to this dish, but they’re also a great food to boost immune function.
To simplify, mushrooms can enhance almost every system in the body and protect you from numerous conditions and diseases since they’re associated with lowered inflammation. Sustaining high levels of inflammation long term has been shown to contribute to chronic conditions, such as heart & autoimmune disease, diabetes and cancer.
Note: Buy and eat organic grown mushrooms whenever possible since they’re very porous and have the tendency to easily absorb chemicals from the soil that they’re grown in.
Cauliflower Mushroom Rice is a delicious grain free and low-carb side to any dish. The prep is super easy with frozen riced cauliflower (which can be found at most grocery stores) and pre sliced mushrooms!
1 12ozbag frozen riced cauliflower, I get mine from Costco
1pack sliced mushrooms
1small yellow onion, finely sliced
2tbspfresh parsley, finely chopped
1and 1/4 cup organic chicken stock
2tbspavocado oil
Sea salt & black pepper , to taste
Instructions
Saute mushrooms in 1 tbsp avocado oil for 2-minutes over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup chicken stock, cover and let cook for 5-minutes. Remove lid and allow remaining liquid to cook off. Set mushrooms aside in a bowl.
Using the same pan, add 1 tbsp avocado oil and saute onion until fragrant over medium heat.
Add frozen riced cauliflower and combine until slightly heated. Season with salt.
Add 1/4 cup of chicken stock to the pan at a time. Let liquid evaporate before adding more stock. Do this until you get through 1 cup of stock. Continue to stir ingredients as you do this.
Add mushrooms and parsley to the pan, combine everything together and let cook for another minute. Remove from heat and serve.
Collagen smoothies are a great way to add more collagen to your diet. They are quick and easy to make–and serve as a great breakfast or lunch option.
My Collagen Power Smoothie is smooth, creamy and well balanced. I use banana as a natural sweetener, plus almond butter to give this delicious smoothie some nuttiness. To make this collagen smoothie even more rich and creamy, I recommend using some full fat coconut milk (see my notes below).
Feel free to boost this collagen smoothie with ceylon cinnamon or maca–or not. Either way the result will be delicious!
You might be wondering what the benefits are to adding collagen to your smoothies …
Well it all starts at about age 35, when collagen production naturally begins to slow, which can have all sorts of negative effects on your body. By age 40, collagen begins to deplete faster than your body can reproduce it, and by age 60, over ½ of your body’s collagen has been depleted.
In addition to aging, many other factors impact collagen levels. These include genetics, smoking, pollution, excessive sun exposure, and nutritional deficiencies, among others.
Collagen is the “glue” that holds your body together.
It’s the fibrous protein found throughout your body, in organs, muscles, skin, hair, nails, teeth, bones, blood vessels, tendons, joints, cartilage, and your digestive system.
As we age and our collagen production decreases, these areas of our body begin to weaken. Adding a collagen supplement to your daily routine can help to strengthen your body for optimal health and functioning.
Here are some other ways you can easily add collagen to your diet …
Mix into a glass of water. For best results, add powder prior to adding water.
Mix into hot beverages like coffee and tea.
Add to soups, stews, sauces, yogurt, homemade desserts and more.
Collagen smoothies are a great way to add more collagen to your diet. They are quick and easy to make--and serve as a great breakfast or lunch option. This Collagen Power Smoothie is smooth, creamy and well balanced. I use banana as a natural sweetener, plus almond butter to give this delicious smoothie some nuttiness. Feel free to boost this collagen smoothie with ceylon cinnamon or maca--or not. Either way the result will be delicious!
Blend all ingredients using a high-powered blender.
Pour into your favourite smoothie cup and enjoy!
Notes
* For a rich and creamy smoothie, use canned full fat coconut milk. I add 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk + 1/2 cup water.
Join my free smoothie Challenge
Get started on your journey back to health by joining my FREE 14-day smoothie challenge. It’s a simple and natural approach to weight loss & better health.
Don’t you hate it when you forget to take frozen meat out of the freezer the night before your planned dinner?
Or maybe you decide on a recipe (like this one) last minute, but your ground chicken is frozen solid?
These scenarios are not uncommon in my world. There’s been numerous times where I forget to take meat out of the freezer with enough time to thaw out in the fridge OR I decide on a recipe last minute with only frozen meat on hand.
I’m assuming I’m not alone with my frozen meat problems, so I decided to give you some quick tips for thawing out frozen ground meat safely!
The first method is best, BUT the second method comes in handy for those who forget to thaw out their meat using the first method or are last minute planners.
THE LONG THAW METHOD: If you have 12 to 24 hours…
If you know ahead of time that you want to use your ground meat, thawing it in the refrigerator is the safest way to do so. It takes about 24 hours to fully thaw one pound of ground beef in the refrigerator.
THE QUICK THAW METHOD: If you have 30-minutes to 1 hour…
With less than an hour to go before dinner and a pound of frozen ground meat in your hands, you can defrost it in a bowl of cold water. Make sure the frozen meat is in a sealed package, then submerge it in a bowl of cold tap water. Important note: DO NOT use warm or hot water since this will heat the outer layer of meat too quickly, risking the growth of bacteria. For this reason, you should also change the water to keep it from getting too warm. One pound of meat will take about one hour to defrost in a bowl of water, then it should be cooked right away.
Now that we’ve solved your frozen meat problems, it’s time to try this super delicious Chicken Green Goddess Plate!
This is one of my favourite go-to dishes during the busy work week. It’s super quick and easy to prepare and it’s packed with so much great flavour!
I used cabbage as a base for this recipe since I always have it on hand–it lasts long in the fridge and is super versatile. If you’re not a fan of cabbage feel free to substitute it with riced cauliflower, spaghetti squash, salad or another base of choice.
Green Goddess Chicken Plate
INGREDIENTS: (serves 2-3)
1 lb ground pastured chicken
1 small green cabbage or half large, thinly sliced
2 tbsp avocado oil
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt & black pepper to taste
GREEN GODDESS DRESSING:
1/3 cup almond or coconut milk, unsweetened
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup fresh parsley, basil or cilantro
1/4 cup chives or green onions
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. For cabbage: Using a deep stove-top pan heat 2 tbsp avocado oil, add cabbage and season with sea salt. Cook at medium heat, mixing occasionally, until cabbage is tender and begins to brown slightly. Remove from heat and mix in olive oil.
2. For chicken: While cabbage is cooking, cook chicken in another stove-top pan. Break meat apart, season with salt and pepper and cook until meat browns slightly.
3. For dressing: Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend/process until smooth.
4. Place sauteed cabbage on plate, add chicken on top then drizzle with dressing. Enjoy!
Tiger Nut Energy Bites are the perfect nut free and AIP friendly snack or treat! They’re soft & chocolatey with a hint of nuttiness. Only 3-ingredients required for these delicious bites and they’re super easy to make!
DID YOU KNOW? Tiger nuts are not actually nuts, but rather tubers, like sweet potato, though much smaller in size. They get their name from the stripes on the tubers’ exterior.
These marble-sized tubers are chewy and taste like a cross between an almond and pecan with a hint of honey–making them a great nut replacement.
They are naturally gluten, grain and dairy free, so they’re perfect for those following a plant-based or paleo diet.
Tiger nuts can be consumed in a number of ways. You can eat them raw, roasted, soaked or boiled. You can also find tiger nuts in a variety of forms; tiger nut flour, tiger nut oil, tiger nut butter and tiger nut milk!
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with different tiger nut recipes. Not only do I get more variety in my diet with these small tubers, but they are packed with antioxidants, resistant starch fiber & vitamin E.
So, if you’re curious about tiger nuts or maybe you’re looking for nut free paleo recipes, I recommend trying some of my tiger nut creations …
Tiger Nut Energy Bites are the perfect nut free and AIP friendly snack or treat! They're soft & chocolatey with a hint of nuttiness. Only 3-ingredients required for these delicious bites and they're super easy to make!
Put tiger nuts in a jar, fill with water and let soak in fridge for 12+ hours. Drain well.
Using a food processor, process drained tiger nuts until they break down a bit. Then add pitted dates, cacao/cocoa powder & sea salt. Continue to process until a consistent mixture forms.
Roll the mixture into small balls. Place in airtight container and store in the fridge.
Keyword autoimmune protocol, cacao, dates, energy balls, tiger nuts, vegan
Have you heard about different ‘superfoods’ that can be added to smoothies to make them even more healthy?
There’s a long list of them; so many that it’s easy to get overwhelmed in the land of superfoods.
I always recommend to keep things simple, but I can understand the urge to test out something new, especially if there are health benefits attached to it.
To save you the time and energy required to sort through all the superfoods out there, I’ve put together a short list of my favourite smoothie boosters. Check them out and give them a try!
5 Ways to Boost Your Smoothie
1. MACA POWDER
Known for its hormone balancing effects. Maca has been studied to help normalize the symptoms of premenstrual/menstrual symptoms, as well as the symptoms of menopause including hot flashes, night sweats, cramps, fatigue and lethargy. Look for gelatinized maca for easier digestion and absorption. Add 1 tsp.
2. COLLAGEN
The ultimate anti-aging smoothie booster! As we age, our bodies’ natural production of collagen starts to slow. Collagen supplementation has proven to be effective in supporting the strength and flexibility of bones, tendons and cartilage, as well as the appearance of skin and nails, and GI tract health. Incorporating a collagen powder into your smoothie is an easy way to support many areas of your health and stay forever young. Learn more about the benefits of Whole Body Collagen. Add 1-2 scoops.
Whole Body Collagen
A unique blend of THREE collagen peptides supported by clinical research showing their efficacy for supporting collagen production, bone strength, joint & gut health, skin elasticity + more.
These little guys are loaded with antioxidants, even more so than tea, wine and blueberries! In addition, cacao nibs are a high source of magnesium, iron and fibre. A great way to add extra nutrition and crunch to your smoothies. Stir in 1 tbsp.
4. SEA SALT
Not only will a high-quality sea salt enhance the flavour of your smoothie, but it will add life-giving nutrients. Sea salt is rich in trace minerals that are hard to obtain from food due to the lack of nutrient-rich soil. Sea salt can help promote vascular health, healthy pH & electrolyte balance, as well as increase energy, regulate sleep and improve symptoms of adrenal fatigue. Look for Pink Himalayan or Celtic. Add a pinch.
5. CINNAMON
Popular for its blood sugar lowering effects, but also has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and immunity-boosting abilities. Great way to naturally sweeten your smoothies as well. Opt for Ceylon cinnamon over Cassia (aka “fake”) cinnamon. Cassia cinnamon contains a higher amount of coumarin, a natural plant chemical that can be toxic to the liver and kidneys, and it may also be carcinogenic, in large doses. Add 1/2-1 tsp.
Join my free smoothie Challenge
Get started on your journey back to health by joining my FREE 14-day smoothie challenge. It’s a simple and natural approach to weight loss & better health.
To be honest, before this recipe I really wasn’t a big fan of kale–and the only way I would incorporate it into my diet was by hiding it in a smoothie.
The BF managed to change my mind about kale in our early dating days …
It was Halloween 2018 and I was heading to his house for the very first time. The plan was to dress-up and hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters in his neighbourhood.
I showed up as Organic Farmer Jen (no surprise there) and he dressed up as Superman (padded abs, biceps, quads and all).
We really didn’t discuss dinner plans before I arrived (I was mentally prepared to eat my stash of organic dark chocolate and SmartSweets for dinner), but to my surprise this man had some dinner ideas up his jacked Superman sleeves.
He busted out a gluten free keto pizza from the freezer and then grabbed a bunch of kale from the fridge. Now, the kale didn’t excite me as much as the pizza did, BUT I was extremely impressed that this bachelor had something green in his fridge and was prepared to do something with it.
I decided not to mention that I wasn’t a big fan of kale, afterall I did show up as Organic Farmer Jen and what organic farmer doesn’t eat kale, right?!
So, after 10-minutes of methodical kale prep and warming up keto pizza, there we were, the organic farmer and jacked Superman enjoying our first at home dinner–that he made!!!
I realized two important things that night:
I actually do like kale, I just needed the right combo of ingredients to make it tickle my palate.
Jacked Superman and his kale recipe might be keepers!
We now make this kale recipe on a regular–and I enjoy it just as much today as I did when I tried it for the very first time.
The combination of lemon, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil makes kale exciting and flavourful. It’s the perfect low-carb, high-fiber side to any fish or meat dish (or gluten free keto pizza!).
Give it a try and leave me a comment below with your thoughts!
Sautéed Lemon & Pine Nut Kale
INGREDIENTS: (serves 3-4)
1 bunch leafy kale, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 lemon, juice only
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 tbsp avocado oil
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a large stove-top pan saute garlic in avocado oil until fragrant.
2. Add kale to pan. Use tongs to coat kale in oil and garlic. Add sea salt.
3. Once kale has wilted down, add pine nuts and allow them to toast slightly.
4. Add in lemon juice, turn off burner then finish with olive oil. Toss one last time and serve.
My mission is to help women heal their gut, lose weight and feel great through simple and delicious smoothies, whole food nutrition & healthy lifestyle habits.
