Happy Health by Carla

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Whole30 Approved Coconut Chicken Soup

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Are you doing a January whole30? If so I have the perfect soup for you. This is originally from this blog  that my friend Allison shared with me while I did a whole15 back in December. The original blog post calls it a chili, but I’d consider it more of a coconut soup. Recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 ½ lbs. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (preferably organic and pasture raised)
  • 1 Tbsp. ghee or avocado oil (for stovetop version only)
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 medium bell pepper, any color; diced
  • 1 small jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed and finely diced
  • 6 cloves garlic. minced
  • 2 ½ tsp. ground cumin (add more to taste)
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 2 tsp. chili powder (add more to taste)
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 3 cups organic chicken broth for thicker soup reduce broth to 2 cups
  • 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Fresh cilantro and lime wedges for garnish, optional


INSTRUCTIONS

Slow Cooker Directions

  1. First, add the onion, peppers, spices (cumin through black pepper) and garlic to the bottom of the slow cooker. Place chicken on top of veggies. Pour the broth on top and close the lid.
  2. Cook for 7-8 hours on low heat.
  3. Take the chicken out of the slow cooker and shred with two forks.
  4. Add the coconut milk and stir. Turn heat to high for 10-15 minutes.
  5. Add lime juice and cilantro if using. If it doesn’t taste flavorful enough, just add more seasonings!

If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can also make this over the stove. Click here to see the original blog post that includes stove top instructions. Let me know if you try it!

xx

Carla

Whole30 Meatballs in Marinara

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If you’re doing a whole30, one thing that will be a critical piece of your success is trying new recipes!  The last time I attempted whole30, I threw in the towel because I had no desire to eat any of the compliant food that I had in the fridge after a long day of work and [solidcore] coach training.  I literally don’t think I tried a single new recipe!  How boringgg. This week, I’ve been doing things very differently.  I would say I’m actually eating way more yummier foods now than when I wasn’t on whole30.  The meals I’ve been eating are delicious and I’ve been super excited to eat them.  I don’t feel deprived at all–that’s the key.

My slow cooker has also become my best friend!  I’ve really enjoyed my time getting back in the kitchen making recipes from scratch.  I find it therapeutic.  The slow cooker helps with convenience.  I made these slow cooker meatballs for my Pure Barre potluck last night.  They were a hit!  The recipe is from paleorunningmama.com.  I found it on Pinterest, which is an amazing resource that I highly recommend utilizing.

Ovi approves 🙂 

You’ll need:

  • 1 and 3/4 lbs ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup blanched almond flour
  • 3/4 tsp fine grain sea salt divided (I just used pink Himalayan salt)
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning blend
  • generous pinch crushed red pepper adjust for spice preference
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley – optional (I didn’t use this)

for the sauce:

  • 1 – 28 oz can crushed tomatoes with basil
  • 1 – 14 oz can diced tomatoes with basil and garlic
  • 1 – 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh garlic (You could use minced garlic for convenience
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano leaves (I used dried oregano to season instead)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • sea salt to taste

to make the meatballs:

  1. In a small bowl, mix together the almond flour, 1/2 tsp of the sea salt, onion and garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper.
  2. In a large bowl, add the ground beef and sprinkle evenly with the remaining sea salt. Add the egg and almond flour mix (plus parsley if adding) and gently mix with your hands until the mixture binds and is evenly distributed. It’s important not to work the meat too much or it becomes tough.
  3. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your broiler. Form the meat mixture into 20 meatballs and arrange on the baking sheet.
  4. Broil 2-4 minutes just to lightly brown and release a small amount of fat (this avoids an overly greasy sauce) and remove promptly.
  5. Add the meatballs to the slow cooker, leaving behind any rendered fat. Top the meatballs with all sauce ingredients and give a gentle stir (careful not to break the meatballs!)
  6. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, until meatballs are cooked through
  7. Serve when ready to eat with anything you want and garnish with your favorite fresh herbs.

These are great with zoodles, cauliflower rice or sweet potato noodles if you’re on whole30.  If you’re not on whole30, they would be delicious with chickpea/lentil pasta!  They go well with so many different things and because of that they are an excellent option for meal prep Sunday.

Don’t forget to get organized, move your body & do one thing for your mental health today like journal/meditate or even just relax. You deserve it.  Have a dope Sunday, my friends.

xx

Carla

Whole30 Approved Bolognese with Zoodles & “The Magic Pill” Recap

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The other day I watched a documentary on Netflix called “The Magic Pill” that inspired me to get back into paleo cooking.  The documentary showed how the ketogenic diet magically healed three different people with a wide array of health problems.  According to the Bulletproof blog:

“The Magic Pill” follows people in America and Australia suffering from different ailments to explore what effect, if any, the ketogenic diet has on their symptoms. The ketogenic, or keto diet, is a high-fat, low-carb diet that encourages your body to use fat for fuel instead of carbs.

The film tracks the subjects for 10 weeks, then looks at whether the keto diet improved each person’s particular condition.

In the film, Abigail, a young girl with autism — who ate processed chicken fingers, goldfish crackers, and apple juice previously — appeared to make significant gains after five weeks of restricting carbs. Though she struggled to adjust to the diet initially, her parents were convinced it was working. Her father noted her belly was less bloated, she had more regular bowel movements (she took a laxative every day prior to the keto diet), and she communicated better.

“She’s able to concentrate, and she’s able to progress, because she’s not running all over the place and she’s not seizing,” her doctor says in the film. “Her seizures are going down, and we have tangible data from the school. We are actually starting to wean her off of the anti-convulsory narcotic that she’s on.”

The people profiled followed a diet based on keto principles. These include:

  • Eat whole and organic foods
  • Eliminate processed foods, dairy, grains, and legumes
  • Edge out bad fats (vegetable oils) with healthy fats (olive and coconut oils, animal fats, eggs, and avocados)
  • Aim to consume free-range animals and wild caught seafood
  • Introduce bone broths, organ meats, fermented foods, and intermittent fasting into your diet

(Bullet Proof Blog)

This documentary was incredible and reminded me that real food is amazing medicine.  I feel inspired to cut out sugar, processed food, alcohol, grains, soy, dairy and legumes right now to see where it takes me.

Last time I attempted a whole30 in March, I threw in the towel at the end of week two because I got so bored with what I was cooking!  I wasn’t mixing it up or trying fun new recipes and that was my down fall.  So if you’re reading this, and you’re trying paleo or simply just trying to be healthier, here’s my advice:

a) spice it up and try one new recipe a week

b) be prepared–always have yummy meals ready to go in the fridge.  Like this one:

INGREDIENTS
  1. Spiralize the zucchinis first. Feel free to spiralize it as thick or as thin as you’d like! Add the spiralized zucchini to a large colander and place it over the sink. Add the kosher salt and massage it well into the zucchini. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, as this process will release a lot of moisture. Rinse the zucchini well with cold water and let it drain for another 10-15 minutes. Pat it as dry as you can with a kitchen towel and set aside. Not gonna lie guys I didn’t do this whole salt thing and mine turned out fine 
  2. Cook the bacon cubes in a large cooking pot on medium. Transfer the bacon to a plate for later use.
  3. Cook the onion, celery and carrots until the onions appear translucent. Add in the garlic cloves and cook for another minute or so, until fragrant. I used minced garlic from Trader Joe’s instead of cloves
  4. Add in the beef and cook until brown. Add in the coconut milk, bone broth, tomato paste and cooked bacon cubes. Let it simmer for 7-10 minutes, until everything is well combined and appears thick. I couldn’t find grass fed beef at the store so I used lamb instead.  I also forgot to buy bone broth lol so I used extra coconut milk.
  5. Stir in the garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper, to taste. I also didn’t do this part…lol
  6. Stir in the zucchini noodles and let everything cook together for 4-5 minutes. Serve warm.
    I found this recipe on Pinterest and it’s from this blog. Let me know if you guys have any questions! I’m happy to help.  Have a happy & healthy week my friends 🙂

Whole30 Pesto

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Hi friends!  Today I want to share with you this BOMB but ridiculously clean pesto.  I got this recipe from the Whole30 cookbook.  The whole30 is a 30 day elimination diet where you do not consume alcohol, sugar, dairy, legumes or grains of any sort.  Not even honey, stevia, quinoa or smoothies are allowed on this strict diet that is said to reduce inflammation and heal the gut.  I did a whole30 once..ok well a whole27.  Post on that to come!

 

This pesto pairs amazing with zucchini noodles and grass fed beef or Trader Joe’s lentil pasta.  You can make a big batch and use it all week or freeze it.

Enjoy!

  • ½ cup walnuts or pine nuts
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1.5 cups extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, add walnuts (in a single layer) and shake frequently (to prevent burning). Do this until they are lightly browned – about 2 minutes.

Next, combine walnuts and garlic in a food processor and pulse to combine them. Add basil, pulse until roughly chopped. Add lemon juice. While mixing on low speed, slowly add the olive oil in a gently stream until all ingredients are blended.

Add salt and pepper, pulse a few times.

Let me know if you guys enjoy this as much as I do 🙂

Coconut Cauliflower Rice with Sweet Coconut Chicken and Broccoli

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Hello friends!  I need to share this amazingly healthy-but-delicious recipe with you guys.  I think it’s so important to mix up your rotation of food, because otherwise you are going to get bored and think that healthy eating sucks!  Of course, I do have my staples that I rotate quite frequently, but once a week I like to mix it up and try a new recipe to keep things interesting.  This is a recipe from the fabulous celebrity Nutritionist Kelly Leveque, of Be Well by Kelly.  It fits her fab 4 formula, as it is the perfect combination of protein, fat, fiber and greens to stabilize your blood sugar and keep you full for hours.  Enjoy!

Serves 2

  • 4 cups of cauliflower rice
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 Tbsp coconut milk or coconut crème
  • 1 rotisserie chicken or 2 baked chicken breasts, shredded
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 2 Tbsp chopped green chives
  • 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
  • 4 Tbsp coconut aminos
  • 2 Tbsp melted ghee

For the bowl:
In a large sauté pan, blanch broccoli in water for 4-6 minutes until fork tender. Drain and set aside.

In same large sauté pan, add coconut oil, coconut milk (or crème) and cauliflower. Stir-fry on medium heat until cauliflower is done to your liking, 4-6 minutes.

Either:

Add broccoli and shredded chicken to the pan and stir to incorporate and warm or add cauliflower to bottom of bowl and top with shredded chicken and broccoli.

For the sauce:
In a small bowl, mix melted ghee, coconut aminos and sesame seeds. Dress bowl with half.

Serve with gluten-free sriracha sauce (optional).

Go-To Cauliflower Rice Bowl

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Let’s simplify healthy eating, shall we?

This cauliflower rice bowl is quick, affordable and nutritious AF.

Ingredients:

  • Grass fed ground beef or lamb
  • Cauliflower rice (I get mine frozen at Trader Joe’s)
  • 1/4 – 1/2 Avocado
  • Coconut Aminos (I got mine at Whole Foods)

 

Directions:

  1. Cook the meat over medium heat in a pan.
  2. Cook the cauliflower rice in a pan until it turns a light brown toasted color (no oil necessary)
  3. Put all ingredients into a bowl and pour some coconut aminos on top and there you have it folks!

Brownie points if you pre cook your meat and cauliflower rice on meal prep Sunday!