Healthy Chicken and Dumplings, by Diane

This Sunday I am going on day 13 of being sick with a devil cold, and I've been having a really hard time wanting to eat anything except broth, which I am frankly sick of by this point! So I created this version of chicken and dumplings in an attempt to convert what I would normally put in a healing chicken soup into an actual meal that I would be tempted to eat. I borrowed the dumpling idea from this website, but converted it into a quinoa flour dumpling boosted with fresh thyme to get some extra protein and healing herbs in here too! I used coconut oil throughout this recipe for it's antibacterial and antiviral effects, but other oils can be used as well. Finally, I used bone broth since it's renowned for it's healing properties, which I usually make but ran out of- and I was surprised to see that my grocery store carried a brand called Pacifica which makes it!

I can't write enough words in here to describe *just* how freaking amazing this turned out. I have never attempted chicken and dumplings before, and at the beginning before I let it simmer it looked like it was just going to be a clear, thin soup with lots of veggies and chicken in it with the occasional dumpling. But once I stirred it after an hour, I saw that it was transformed into a thick and creamy consistency very much like the chicken and dumplings I've had at restaurants in the past! I have no idea how this magic happened! The dumplings turned out to be soft, airy, herby pillows of goodness too! The combo of the texture and the flavors had me eating bowls of this stuff- my first real meals in weeks! Now if that isn't a testament to how good this is, I don't know what is. Make this NOW. Like, yesterday. Go!!!



Ingredients:

3 tbsp coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 large carrots, sliced
2 large celery stalks, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 small baby bella mushrooms, diced
1.5 cups frozen green peas

2 cups quinoa flour
1 tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 cup milk (any type- I use unsweetened almond milk which accidentally was vanilla flavored but it still worked!)
1 tbsp dried thyme
3 chicken breasts, cubed
5 cups chicken broth (bone broth preferred)
1 tbsp poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper


Directions:

1. In a large soup pot over medium high heat, add in 3 tbsp coconut oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, mushrooms, and peas. Cook for 10-15 minutes until veggies are softened and onions are translucent.

2.  While the veggies are cooking, whisk together flour, soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add in 3 tsp melted coconut oil, milk, and thyme, and stir together well until combined. Set aside.

3. After the veggies are cooked, add in the chicken and stir well. Add the broth and bring to a boil.

4. When the soup is at a boil, drop in the dumplings by small spoonfuls (like making drop cookies or biscuits- they don't need to look nice!). Cook uncovered for 45 minutes, do not stir.

5. After 45 minutes, cover and cook for 15 more minutes.

Carrot and Apple Muffins, by Cheryl

I made these to bring in to Julia's preschool class and they were a big hit! They're pretty sweet, but very healthy at the same time. They are great for breakfast or a snack... Julia had two this morning before I had to cut her off because she was going to eat them all! I blended a few recipes together in order to come up with a recipe that I thought would be good for us. I don't think I needed the extra sugar in there (I used half a cup) and maybe next time I'd use maple syrup or honey if it needed something more. But with the carrots, apple, and banana it seems like it would be sweet enough. The kids and teachers gobbled them up. Yum!

EDIT: I tried it with 1/4 cup of sugar and it was perfect. The recipe makes about 16 muffins so it equals less than a teaspoon of added sugar per muffin.

Ingredients:

1 cup packed grated carrots (I used 4 carrots)
1 apple peeled and grated
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 egg
1 cup oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
flax seeds
apple sauce
2 tablespoons safflower oil
1/2 cup milk

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400.

2) Mix everything together. Pour into muffin tins. Bake for 32-36 minutes. Let them cool in the muffin tin for at least 15 minutes. Unwrapping them too soon may cause the muffins to stick to the wrappers.

Mood Changer Juice, by Diane

The local juice shop by me has this delicious juice called the Mood Changer. It has all kinds of ingredients that have mood boosting effects, and it's really good! A few mornings ago, I was prepping to my make typical AM green juice (apple, kale, parsley, lemon, ginger, and cucumber) but I had some strawberries that were about to go bad. I realized that all of the ingredients except the parsley and cucumber were in the Mood Changer juice, so I threw the strawberries into the mix. I kept the parsley and cucumber too, because why mess with perfection and hydration! This combo turned out to be SO good, I will definitely have it on regular rotation now! The apples I've been using are fresh picked from a local orchard, and having them fresh and in season definitely helps as well.

Ingredients:

1 small green or yellow apple, preferably tart or sweet and sour like a Cameo
1 inch ginger (use 1/2 this if you don't like the taste)
10 small-medium strawberries
1 small handful parsley, leaves only
3 large leaves of kale, stalks included
1 small cucumber, peeled
1/2 lemon, rind removed


Directions:

Juice the first three ingredients together, then the greens, then the cucumber and lemon last. Stir and drink immediately!

Sick Tonic, by Diane

This was hard to get a nice shot of....

I've been meaning to post this for a while- this is my go to AM tonic when I am feeling under the weather. Whether it's a stomach bug or a sore throat, this tonic is not only really delicious but it's warm and soothing on a day when you don't feel your best. The ingredients boost your immune system, soothe any inflammation in your throat or stomach, and help boost your mood and alertness. Did I mention it's really delicious! It's also just good in general for cold winter mornings where you need something to warm you up. Sometimes I'll drink it along with some gentle yoga and twists, and in about 30 minutes I am feeling nearly all better! I always have these ingredients on hand to make this at the last minute, because you never know when you're gonna need it...

Ingredients:

3 thin slices of fresh ginger (you can use 1/4 tsp of powdered ginger if you don't have this on hand)

2 cups filtered or spring water

1/4 tsp each: turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom 

1 tbsp mulling spices (Whole Foods brand has cloves and orange peel in it as well, which make this taste so good!)

2 tbsp honey (wildflower honey is the best tasting version in this drink IMO)

Directions:

1. Combine the fresh ginger and water, bring to a boil (this really helps to diffuse the ginger into the drink).

2. Add remaining ingredients, stir and cover for a minimum of 5 minutes.

3. Either strain the liquid from the ginger slices and mulling spices, or keep them in and drink with a straw.

Jerk Chicken Potato Patties, by Diane

This recipe is a fusion of two of my favorite recipes, Crockpot Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Baked Kerala Chicken Cutlet. I wanted to make the jerk chicken, but didn't want the carbs of the usual rice and beans I make to go with it, so I made it into patties a la cutlet style. Much easier for me to grab on the go anyway, which is one of the reasons I love these cutlets so much! These turned out EXACTLY as I had envisioned, the delicious flavor of the jerk chicken with the creamy texture of the potato and the crispy crust. YUM. I didn't even need a dipping sauce to go with them!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
3-4 pounds chicken breasts, cleaned
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
10 peppercorns
5 medium garlic cloves, smashed
3 medium scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups cilantro (about 1 bunch), coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced into 1/4-inch coins
1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, sliced into rounds
3 large potatoes
2 eggs
1/2 cup each flour and breadcrumbs


Directions:

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Coat the chicken all over with the rub and set into the base of the crockpot.
2. Throw the remaining ingredients through habanero peppers into the crockpot and cook on low for 5-8 hours. Remove the chicken and blend in food processor with 1 cup of the liquid (not the ginger or habanero) until just before smooth. Keep the remaining sauce in case you need to add more to the mixture later.
3. 30 minutes before the chicken is done, peel, cube, and boil the potatoes until soft. Puree in a food processor until smooth.
4. Add the chicken to the potatoes and mix well. Taste for flavor- if it needs more flavor, add more sauce!
5. Preheat oven to 375°. Coat 2 9X5 baking trays with cooking spray.
6. Take flour and bread crumbs in two separate plates. Beat 2 eggs in a bowl big enough to dip each of the patties. Take each shaped patty, roll in flour, dip in egg, roll in bread crumbs and place them on the baking sheet.
7. Spray tops of patties with a final coat of nonstick cooking spray. Bake in oven for 18 minutes when edges are crisp and tops are golden brown. Rotate baking trays halfway through and flip, adding more cooking spray below and on top of the patties.

Roasted Golden Beet and Rosemary Chips, by Diane

I recently went to this awesome farmers market and bought a bunch of produce, including these golden beets. I love golden beets because they are slightly sweeter and less earthy than the red ones. I thought I'd make them into chips for snacking, but I was leery that they would actually turn into chips because every other time I've tried to make veggie chips they've just been soft instead of hard and crunchy like chips. I found several recipes and used the highest rated one, which said to roast them at 375 for 15-20 minutes. But they were still soft by 20 minutes, so I flipped them and kept them in another 10 minutes. At this point, not only were they still soft but some were completely burned. So, I'm not sure here what the answer to making veggie chips is other than using a mandolin with a thinner setting (mine was about 1/4 inch thick which I thought should be thin enough!). They were still good to eat, but not the same....

Ingredients:

Beets
Olive oil
Salt/Pepper
Rosemary


Directions:

1. Slice beets thinly and evenly using a mandolin if possible.

2. Place in a bowl with remaining ingredients and toss.

3. Roast at 375 for 25 minutes.

Health(ier) Alfredo Sauce, by Cheryl

Pictured with my eggplant balls in the background

This was really good and I can see it becoming a staple in our house. I'm not sure I would call it a healthy dish, but if you're in the mood for an Alfredo type sauce then this is definitely a healthier version of that! The sauce was creamy and covered the chicken and pasta very well! Yum!

Ingredients (recipe):

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup broth
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (I used a 4 cheese mix)

Directions:

1) Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the cornstarch and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. While whisking slowly add in the broth and milk. Continue whisking until combined and smooth.

2) Raise heat to medium high and bring mixture to a simmer.

3) Simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

4) Remove from heat and little by little whisk in the Greek yogurt.

5) Once combined put back on the heat, and stir in the rest of the ingredients.

6) Serve over pasta immediately or store in the fridge.