Monday, August 29, 2011

MEATBALLS & SLAW

make the meatballs from the homemade soup recipe, but add lots of chopped green onion to meatball mixture...combine meatballs hot or cold with plain coleslaw, nonfat plain greek yogurt, & some fresh cut up tomato

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Z's COCONUT GEMS



1)  In medium bowl mix together 3 Tablespoons coconut flour, 3 Tablespoons golden flaxseed meal, & 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut shreds.
2)  Melt 2 Tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil.  Add 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract to oil.
3)  Add oil to mixture & combine.  Stir very well.
4)  Add desired amount of dried cranberries (prefer dried cranberries sweetened with apple juice) to the mixture.  One big handful? Mix well.
5)  Lay out piece of parchment paper on counter. (medium sized)
6)  With hands, firmly roll/mash mixture into cookie shapes.  Helps to make it round in your hand first, then smash on the parchment paper.  It's a little tricky, but just get them into fairly solid shapes on the parchment paper.
7)  Carefully lay parchment paper on large enough freezer safe plate for all the cookies.
8)  FREEZE the cookies for a couple hours, & keep stored in freezer.
NOTE:  THE COOKIES TASTE TOTALLY DIFFERENT ONCE FROZEN- they are not really good before they freeze for some reason.

Z's HOMEMADE SOUP



1)  Mix 4 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, & 1/2 cup of coconut flour together.  Mix very well!
2)  Add one pound of ground WHITE TURKEY BREAST meat to mixture & mix very well!
3)  Form small 'meatballs' from the mixture.
4)  Cook the meatballs in 5 Tablespoons of extra virgin coconut oil.  I use a large stainless steel pan.  Gently stir them often, turning when necessary.  (Turkey seems to crumble more than beef)..  Cover the pan at intervals.  Remove from heat once fully cooked.
5)  In large pan, heat a 27 oz can of PURE CHICKEN BROTH.  (much better than turkey or beef broth).. It took me awhile to find literally pure chicken broth where chicken broth is the only ingredient listed.  I found a can of Bowman & Landes at Mustard Seed Market.
6)  Add washed chopped green onions (about half a bunch) and the juice from one large organic lemon to the broth.  Add himalayan sea salt to the broth to taste.  I like a lot.
7)  Add meatballs to the soup and serve.  Try like this first but you will more than likely want to add lots of nonfat PLAIN greek YOGURT(I love Chobani) (no starch) in the soup...it's sooooo good;)

SIMPLE CHICKEN OREGANO



Bake all natural chicken breasts marinated in oil of your choice with lots of fresh oregano covering the chicken.
Serve over lettuce with grapes or other fruit.  Salt to taste.

Z's ESCALLOPED CHICKEN SOUP OR SALAD



1)  Dip ~4 thin sliced all natural chicken breasts (~ one pound) in bowl with one big egg that's been mixed.
2)  Moderately cover egg dipped chicken breasts in coconut flour on both sides- lil challenging as coconut flour absorbs so much liquid quickly, but should be fine.. if crumbles form just add those on top.
3)  Stir fry the chicken in olive oil in a pan until fully cooked.  I use a sturdy metal spatula & chop the chicken into smaller bits as I'm cooking it.  Mix in chopped green onions(1/2 bunch or more) when chicken close to being done.
4)  Add can of unsweetened coconut milk to pan.  Add salt to taste.  I prefer a lot in this.  Remove from heat.
5)  Add lots of chopped celery to pan or wait and add after mixture cools if you want it crunchy.
6)  Now you can either eat it hot like soup, AND/OR you can wait and let it cool, refrigerate it, and then serve it on a bed of lettuce with diced strawberries and dried all natural blueberries (found some that are sweetened with apple juice or nothing added even better)..

TURKEYCAKES



Refer to beefcakes recipe.  Just substitute GROUND WHITE TURKEY BREAST MEAT (more $, but so much better than regular ground turkey and way healthier).
Also, may want to do cranberries and sage for flavors in the turkeycakes.

BEEFCAKE EGG SLAW



See the recipe for beefcakes.  This recipe is 2 eggs over easy on a bed of dry coleslaw with a beef muffin torn up on top.

BEEFCAKES



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
1)  Brown 1/2 pound (or lil more) of grass fed beef & chopped green onions (about half a bunch or more) & remove from heat once fully cooked.
2)  Blend 3 eggs, 2 Tablespoons melted extra virgin coconut oil, generous 1/2 teaspoon salt in big bowl.
3)  Add 4 Tablespoons of coconut flour to bowl & MIX VERY WELL, so it's pretty smooth.
4)  Add 2-3 ripe chopped (gutted) tomatoes, a cup or two of cooked/boiled broccoli (drained well!) torn into small pieces, & the meat mixture to the big bowl.
note:  may substitute or omit tomato/broccoli..other ideas, cooked spinach, artichoke, fresh sage or oregano..)
5)  Mix all ingredients together well.
6)  Either grease cupcake pan (12 holders preferably) with ghee, or put 12 cupcake liners in cupcake holders.
7)  Spoon the mixture evenly into cupcake holders...I think they will be ~3/4 of way full on each one, maybe more?..
8)  Bake in oven for about 20 minutes at 350.  If needs to go longer, lower to 300..
9)  Let cool completely, as this makes it much easier to peel the beefcakes without having to scrape off stuck parts..still peel slowly.. same if you just cooked directly in cupcake pan.. that way when try to cut/remove will be easier..
10)  Enjoy!
Note:  other ideas for the beefcakes include serving them with chopped lettuce/salad and lil mayo.. may want to add cheese, melted or not.. or maybe unsweetened coconut shreds..


TACO SALAD



1)  Brown half pound (or more) of grass fed beef with some chopped green onions(half a bunch).
2)  Chop about 2 ripe tomatoes (gutted) and shred some extra sharp cheddar cheese.
3)  Add lettuce (used a ready to serve bag already chopped..romaine/butter/tender blend) to bowl.
4)  Add meat mixture, tomatoes, lots of nonfat plain greek yogurt (make sure no starch), & cheese.
5)  Enjoy!

EGG SALAD



1)  Hard boil some eggs, let cool, then crack/peel them and slice in harp like egg cutter as desired.
2)  Mix with organic mayonnaise (make sure no starch).  Salt as desired.
3)  Add diced celery, cucumbers, & grapes.
4)  Serve on a bed of iceberg lettuce.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

INGREDIENT HEALTH BENEFIT TIDBITS

Here is a list of some ingredients in the recipes & some of the properties associated with them..

COCONUT OIL- antibacterial antiviral antifungal antiparasitic antimicrobial antioxidant anti-inflammatory alkalizing

OREGANO- antibacterial antiviral antifungal antiparasitic antimicrobial antioxidant anti-inflammatory antiseptic alkalizing

LEMON- antibacterial antiviral antifungal antimicrobial antioxidant anti-inflammatory antiseptic alkalizing

MINT- antibacterial antiviral antifungal antiparasitic antimicrobial antioxidant anti-inflammatory antiseptic alkalizing

Z's CARIBBEAN APPLE ON THE ROCKS

Z's CARIBBEAN APPLE ON THE ROCKS

Ingredients-
6 oz natural apple juice (nothing added & not from concentrate!  Earth Fare sells a gallon for $4.88)
2 oz unsweetened coconut milk (coconut dream by taste the dream- perfect flavor & thickness)
ice cubes

1)  Put 3 ice cubes in glass.  Add the apple juice.
2)  Add the coconut milk & gently rattle the ice cubes.  Enjoy sipping!

Z's THAI MEATBALL SOUP

Z's Thai Meatball Soup

Ingredients-
1/2 pound grass fed ground sirloin (expensive but worth it.  look/taste different, used to prefer regular super lean ground sirloin in burger BUT HEALTH FIRST- grass fed agrees with me, yay for STARCH FREE COWS:).. (do some reading on reasons/benefits grass fed cows are better for your health..really interesting)
2 large eggs
fresh mint leaves (about 20-30 torn or chopped)
3-4 Tablespoons FRESH oregano leaves
3-4 Tablespoons green onions (chopped or torn)
Fresh squeezed juice from one large organic lemon (no pulp)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup raw coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4-6 cups UNSWEETENED coconut milk (used So Delicous unsweetened coconut milk for this soup because it's perfect watery consistency.. (side note:  prefer Taste The Dream Coconut Dream for drinking because taste! & more calcium per serving:)

1)  Mix eggs, salt, & oregano leaves in large bowl.  
2)  Add meat to mixture & mix VERY well so consistency is uniform. (may want to use a mixer, or use fork).
3)  Add coconut flour to meat mixture & mix VERY well so consistency is uniform.
4)  Take small pieces of meat mixture & make little meatballs, rolling between your hands.  Set on plate.
5)  Take large fry pan & melt the 2 Tbsp coconut oil, add meatballs & cook them, stirring often.  Takes a little while..I cook them on a medium to medium high heat..I'll cover them with lid for a bit a couple times throughout cooking..rest of time leave uncovered.  
6)  Once meatballs are cooked, add the coconut milk, green onions, lemon juice, & mint leaves to the mixture, gently mixing everything together.  Wait a few minutes, then serve.
7)  Salt more as desired in pan &/or once served to taste.  Enjoy!








Z's OREGOMELETTE

Z's Oregomelette

Ingredients-
4 eggs
4 (or more) Tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (chopped or torn)
2 (or more) Tablespoons green onions (chopped or torn)
one & a half (or more) Tablespoons Raw Coconut Aminos soy-free sauce (by Coconut Secret)
(DO NOT shake the raw coconut aminos! or else it practically explodes/fizzes over like can of pop.. I'd gently turned it upside down/back couple times-silly me-& ka boom. put back in fridge forever gently letting compression out..so just make sure it's been still for awhile & open with care..store in fridge after, before fine too)
1/2 teaspoon extra virgin coconut oil
3-4 Tablespoons unsweetened organic coconut shreds (store in fridge..tastes better)
salt (as desired)

1)  Mix eggs, salt, oregano leaves, & green onions.
2)  Heat extra virgin coconut oil in omelette fry pan & add egg mixture.  Cook on low heat.
3)  Once getting close to flipping omelette, add the coconut aminos evenly over egg mixture.
4)  Gently flip when ready, finish cooking.
5)  Sprinkle coconut shreds on top & serve.  Enjoy!


Monday, August 1, 2011

Z's SHORTBREAD CRACKERS

Z's Shortbread Crackers


Ingredients-
parchment paper (2 large pieces)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup raw coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 generous Tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil (melted) (used Barlean's)
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

preheat oven to 325 degrees F



1)  Whisk eggs in medium to large bowl.  Add salt & melted oil.  Mix well.
2)  Add pure vanilla extract.  Mix well.  Add coconut flour & mix VERY VERY well.
3)  Gently press together into one large piece of dough.  Batter consistency may seem a bit like dry plato.
4)  Set first piece of parchment paper on secure surface. (I set mine on large wooden cutting board)
5)  Place dough on parchment paper, place second sheet of parchment paper on top of dough.
6)  Take rolling pin & roll over parchment paper/dough flattening it out evenly thin like crackers, alternating vertical & horizontal rolling.  Check dough, fix any broken edges re-rolling if necessary.
7)  Remove top sheet parchment paper.  Take knife or pizza roller & gently slice the dough into cracker squares.  (I think I cut mine into 20 crackers..5 slices across, 4 slices down..)
8)  Place parchment paper that has crackers directly onto baking sheet & put in preheated oven. (325 F)
9)  Bake 7-9 minutes.  Let cool about one hour.  Gently break apart at lines into crackers.  Put in freezer in container & wait a few hours.  Enjoy!  (Feel free to skip the freezing part, I just think they taste better this way- so good!  and they don't truly freeze even if left in for days..& they keep longer too if you want to make big batches..)

Note:  These are a satisfying yummy snack, & also GREAT for a dessert- just add partially melted frozen or fresh fruit to bits of the crackers..  I'll post a pic of Z's MIXED BERRY SHORTCAKE soon:)