Sweet Potato, Carrot, and Apple Soup

9/20/2016 *Sara-Marie* 0 Comments

Soup. We love soup around here. It's such an easy way to boost up the nutrition in your daily diet and sneak in lots of wholesome veggies and nourishing bone broth into the little ones.

I've been making some variation of this Sweet Potato, Carrot, and Apple soup for probably almost two years now. I never wrote it down or followed a recipe, but a general method - chop up and cook the veggies you have on hand, add some broth, and puree until smooth. It really is that easy.

The sweet potato, carrot, and apple all have a nice sweetness to them so this soup is SO kid-friendly. My daughter Isabelle has always happily eaten this soup and asked for more. Also, you can use butternut squash or pumpkin instead of (or in addition to) the sweet potato, leave out the carrots, or add in more apple - whatever works for you! Truly, this recipe is super forgiving, but the combo of flavors is delicious, especially with sauteed onion and garlic thrown into the mix.

On multiple occasions, I have added in some cooked chicken or homemade sausage to make this a complete meal. The sausage and soup combo is actually one of my faves!

The last thing I'd like to point out is the seasoning. I truly enjoy this soup with just a generous seasoning of sea salt. My bone broths usually come out pretty flavorful and combined with the sweetness of the veggies and fruits, the soup has enough flavor for our palates. But if you'd like to get crazy with the herbs and spices, I would recommend cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, cloves, and Herbes de Provence as good options to choose from!

Okay - LAST last thing. For an even deeper level of flavor (and if you have the time), roast the veggies first, instead of cooking down in the soup pot. 30 minutes at 400 degrees should do it and then you can skip step 2 below.

SWEET POTATO, CARROT, and APPLE SOUP RECIPE
Recipe Ingredients
1 extra large sweet potato, peeled and diced (or two medium - you want about 1.5 pounds)
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 apples, diced
1/2 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tbsp ghee or grassfed butter 
5 cups bone broth (preferably homemade. Add less for a thicker soup)
sea salt, to taste

Recipe Directions
1. Heat a large pot over medium heat and sauté onion in the ghee/butter for 2-3 minutes with a nice pinch of sea salt.
2. Add sweet potatoes, carrots, and apples into the pot, tossing to combine and adding another generous pinch of salt. Cook down for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant - about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
4. Add in the broth and scrape up any delicious brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Lower heat to medium low, cover, and let simmer for about 10 additional minutes, or until all of the veggies are soft.
6. Once the veggies are cooked through, remove the pot from the heat and using an immersion blender, puree the soup. You can also carefully transfer to a regular blender, working in batches as needed.
7. Do a taste test once pureed and add more salt or additional seasonings as desired.
8. Serve and enjoy!

XOXO,
SMP

*Some product links throughout this blog are affiliate links. If through these links, you end up purchasing an item I recommend, I may receive a small commission. Please know that I would never personally recommend any product or service that I do not currently use or would consider using on my own family. I simply want you to know exactly what I use, so you can have the same results when making my recipes. Thank you for your support!*

Strawberry Coconut Milk Yogurt & Kefir-Like Drink!

9/19/2016 *Sara-Marie* 4 Comments

So I was determined to make a dairy free version that tasted just as good as the rest. Now, the "instant" part of Instant Pot does not apply to the yogurt function, but it does keep the coconut milk and probiotic concoction at the perfect temperature while it cultures for about 12 hours. I have found that it has been best to make it overnight.
Couple of notes about the yogurt recipe:

1. Since we are working with coconut milk, we do not have to do the pasteurization step that you would normally need to do with cow's milk when making yogurt. We just need to add our coconut milk and probiotics into a clean container and let it get to work.

2. While I loved how easy this was in the Instant Pot, you don't need one to make yogurt. You can also let it culture in an oven with the oven light on, but no additional heat.

3. I used two collagen products in this recipe - gelatin to thicken the yogurt and collagen peptides to add plenty of easily digestible protein.  Plus collagen is AMAZING for your health and we just don't get enough of it in our modern diet. Collagen supports bone and joint health, immune and digestive systems, and improves skin, hair, and nails making them healthier and stronger. Umm, hello?! Get yourself some collagen. You're welcome. :)

4. This recipe makes about 4.5 cups of yogurt packing in about 7grams of protein per 1/2 cup serving, along with a nice punch of carbs and fat to keep little bellies full all morning as a complete meal.  Or it makes a delicious side for an adult sized meal.

5. The amount of probiotic capsules you will need is based on how many active bacteria each of your capsules contain. You are looking for about 50-60 million active bacteria per batch. Since the ones I use have 20 billion each, I used 3 capsules.

After having success with the yogurt, I thought that this recipe would also make a nice kefir-like drink if I just left out the gelatin. And I was right! So whether or not you like to eat your probiotics with a spoon or sip through a straw, this recipe can be adapted to fit either preference. Either variation also works really well in a smoothie or as a frozen Popsicle for an after-dinner treat.

Though I haven't tried it yet, for longer storage, I would guess you could also freeze the yogurt in ice-cube trays to have ready for smoothies in the future! I also plan to make some frozen yogurt in the future in my ice-cream maker...oh the possibilities are endless.

Gluten Free Baked Chicken Nuggets

9/12/2016 *Sara-Marie* 3 Comments

Now that Isabelle is in preschool full-time, I have to be more and more creative with packing her snacks and lunch. A few weeks ago, I found some organic ground chicken and thought I would give making chicken nuggets a try! I wanted to make these gluten free, but simple enough to make on a regular basis, if they were a hit with the Little Lady.


Which, they clearly were.

This recipe can easily be scaled down or up depending on your chicken nugget needs. I like making this amount because we can eat once and also store some in the fridge or freezer for later consumption.

Now, let's talk texture. Since these chicken nuggets are baked and not fried, the coating is not super crunchy like fried chicken nuggets from a drive-thru. They are soft, flavorful, a little flaky, and a big hit with both my almost 3 year old and my 32 year old husband.


Try these out and let me know what you think!

GLUTEN FREE BAKED CHICKEN NUGGETS RECIPE

Recipe Ingredients
2 lbs ground chicken
2 tsp Adobo seasoning (Click here for my easy homemade blend)

Coating:
1 1/4 cup almond flour
1 1/4 tsp Adobo seasoning
1/4 cup tapioca flour
2 eggs
1 tbsp water
Olive Oil Cooking Spray (or use a Misto, if you have one)

Recipe Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, combine the 2 lbs of ground chicken with 2 tsp of Adobo seasoning.
3. Spray some oil on your hands to prevent sticking and start forming the nuggets by rolling the ground chicken into small golf ball sized balls and then flattening to about 1/4 inch thick and placing on a separate plate. Form all chicken nuggets (or at least half the batch) before proceeding to the next steps.
4. Line up 3 small bowls: one bowl with just the tapioca flour, one bowl with the 2 eggs mixed with the tbsp of water, and one bowl with the almond flour and Adobo seasoning combined.
5. Take each chicken nugget and coat first with tapioca flour, then drop into the egg wash, then coat with the seasoned almond flour, and lastly place on the oiled baking sheet.
6. Once all chicken nuggets are prepared, spray the tops of each nugget with the olive oil spray.
7. Bake for a total of 10 minutes, making sure to flip the nuggets at the halfway point.

Enjoy!

XOXO,
SMP

Homemade Italian Sausage with Peppers, Onions, and Spinach

9/03/2016 *Sara-Marie* 1 Comments

2. Saute peppers and onions with a pinch of salt for about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits, and lower heat to medium.
4. Move peppers and onions to the perimeter, making space in the middle to add the ground pork. Break up pork with a wooden spoon and add the garlic and all of the spices. Stir to combine and cover.
5. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring and re-covering occasionally, until pork is no longer pink.
6. Lower heat to medium-low and add chopped spinach. Stir to combine and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
7. Serve and enjoy!