Since I eat this concoction almost daily, I had to come up with a recipe that was both healthy AND simple. Oh yeah, and delicious. After a bit of trial and error, I finally came up with the perfect recipe. Here it is!

Ingredients:

2 cooked skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup seedless grapes (halved or quartered)
1/4 slivered almonds
1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
Sea Salt & Hot Sauce to taste (yes, hot sauce is good in everything!)

Instructions: 

I start with about a pound of skinless, boneless chicken breasts. I typically buy my  organic, free range chicken which you can find at a reasonable price at Trader Joe’s. But whatever chicken floats your boat is fine. Boil the chicken until fully cooked. Allow it to cool, then shred or cube (depending on your preference). Throw into a medium size bowl.

From there, I grab the vegetables and start chopping (you can food process the veggies as well, which I do on days that I feel lazy). Once they’re chopped, toss them into the bowl with the chicken. Half or quarter the grapes, depending on their size. Add them to the bowl of awesomeness.

Sidenote: I’ve been getting some ginormous grapes lately, so I’ve had to quarter them. Regular size grapes can simply be halved.

Throw in the remaining ingredients and mix well! You can stop here and just start eating this stuff with a spoon (It’s THAT good). Or you can create the perfect sandwich by spreading this magical, chicken bliss onto a slice of toasted quinoa bread, then top it with romaine lettuce and a fresh slice of tomato! Want to keep this recipe Paleo or Gluten Free? Just grab some fresh greens and make lettuce wraps.

Enjoy!

Fritters. They’re what’s for dinner. So let’s get started.

I’m not a veggie lover. BUT, with fritters I figured the more the merrier. This recipe is jam-packed with veggies. You could always substitute, add or leave out some of the veggies based on what you have or any food aversions. But I pretty much threw the kitchen sink into these.

Ingredients:

About 3 cups broccoli, cauliflower & carrot mixture, chopped
2/3 cup fresh spinach, chopped (before cooked)
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or flour of choice)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
Salt & Pepper to taste
EVOO for frying
Water for boiling

Yields about 8 fritters.

Instructions:

I started out by boiling the carrots, broccoli & cauliflower for about 4-5 minutes to soften. DO NOT OVERCOOK or they will be hard to work with.

While you wait for those to soften, chop the onion, garlic & spinach and sauté in a tiny amount of EVOO until the spinach is cooked. If you use too much oil, the fritters will not stay together as well, so take it easy!

Place the broccoli, cauliflower & carrot mixture into a strainer and allow to drain thoroughly. Then gently pat dry to remove excess water. Chop the broccoli and cauliflower into small florets and place them in a bowl. Sidenote: I food-processed the carrots, only because my son has a weird thing about carrots and I didn’t have shredded since I used the organic veggie trio above. If you have shredded carrots, there’s no need to food-process them. Just chop along with the broccoli & cauliflower. Throw in the sautéd veggies as well.

At this point, all veggies should be in the bowl.

Next, add the Parmesan, flour and seasons.

Whisk the egg and toss that into the bowl. Mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat until it sputters when you flick some water into it (from a distance!!!) Once it’s hot, spoon approximately 1/4 cup of mixture into pan for each fritter. Press lightly to flatten to about 2-2.5 inch wide fritters and cook for about 4 minutes, then flip and cook another 4 minutes (or until golden brown). Then, just serve and enjoy the veggies of your labor!

Recommended Pairing: Grilled White Fish or Salmon, Grilled Chicken.

For 25 days now, I have been adhering to a very strict diet known as the AutoImmune Protocol, which is a variation of the Paleo Diet. This diet, along with a number of supplements, has been prescribed to me for an indefinite period of time until my gut heals, my liver detoxes and my blood begins to accept nutrients again on it’s own. This diet excludes ALL grains, dairy (including eggs), nightshades, legumes, nuts, seeds, sugar and alcohol. And let me just say, the struggle has been real.

Once I made it past the initial shock and depression of such a drastic change to my lifestyle (not that I was an unhealthy eater), I started searching for ways to make my food more interesting. Watching other people consume delicious, poisonous foods with no repercussions whatsoever can get a bit overwhelming. I had to overcome my feelings of jealousy and loss somehow, and I knew that experimenting just HAD to lead to some food I could really enjoy.

When I began to plan my first AIP Thanksgiving menu, I was looking for some sides that wouldn’t leave me drooling over everyone else’s plates. I am not a huge fan of sweet potatoes, but in the spirit of tradition, I wanted to incorporate them into the meal. I’m also constantly seeking ways to get my full 9 cups of veggies in daily. And then the idea light bulb went off in my head! What if I added some sweet potato to my cauliflower mash???

I know I’m not the first person to realize this might be a good combination, but I was really excited about how it would turn out. Once it was finished, I was licking the spatula and scraping the sides of my food processor to make sure I got every last drop. It was THAT GOOD.

So, without further ado, here is my recipe!

Ingredients:

1 Head of Organic Cauliflower (Chopped & Steamed)
2 Medium-Sized Sweet Potatoes (Roasted, but microwaved is fine if you’re short on time)
2 Tablespoons Organic Ghee (Or Butter)
Fresh Rosemary & Basil to taste (I use it generously because the flavor is divine!)

Just food process all ingredients until you get the desired texture.
Note: This is a matter of personal preference. The flavor is great whether you prefer lumps or super creamy.

Place in serving bowl and warm in oven until ready to serve (If you can avoid eating it all!)

Enjoy!

Now that we’ve gotten that love fest out of the way, let’s talk cake. Not THAT kind of cake. I’m talking about the kind of cake that honors the perfect union between pig and fermented cabbage. Okay, that doesn’t sound very appetizing, but trust me, IT IS!! It’s like wedding cake, only better. Because these are AIP & Paleo friendly, and healthy enough that you can eat them all!! Or save some for later. Your choice.

Okay, I’m really done this time. On to the cakes.

I have to eat fermented foods daily as a part of my gut healing treatment. I haven’t always been the biggest fan of sauerkraut. But… it’s a superfood with super powers (that’s another story) so I eat it alot. And it really is growing on me. Now that I’ve created THESE, I might even say that I love it. (But not in the same way that pork loves it. I’m not a homewrecker.)

Okay, ok. I now pronounce….Sorry. Here’s the recipe.

Fried Pork & ‘Kraut Cakes
Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 lb. High Quality Ground Pork
2 Cups Sauerkraut (drained and patted dry)
1/4 Onion, finely chopped
1 Small Sweet Potato, steamed and mashed
1 tsp Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp Fresh Basic, finely chopped
1 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Coconut Oil for frying.

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients (except coconut oil) in large bowl until well-mixed.
2. Heat oil in skillet until it sizzles with a sprinkle of water.
3. Form 1 1/2 to 2 inch round balls and flatten.
4. Cook on medium heat for 7-10 minutes per side, or until fully cooked.

Once they’re cooked through, serve hot and crispy! I like to pair these with applesauce and some Roasted Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Mash.

Ingredients

1/4 cup coconut aminos
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp orange juice
1 tsp arrowroot or tapioca flour
1 tsp honey
1 tsp ground ginger
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 head broccoli, chopped
1/2 large onion, sliced and halved
Small bunch of snap peas (These are techniclaly legumes and not Paleo, but most people have no intolerance issues with peas)
1 lb cubed steak or beef chunks
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Melt coconut oil in sauté pan or WOK.
2. Combine orange juice and flour until fully dissolved. Set aside.
3. Toss veggies into pan with coconut aminos, honey and seasons over high heat until evenly coated. Reduce heat to medium and cover, stirring frequently.
4. When veggies begin to soften, add meat and bring heat back to high. Leave uncovered and stir frequently until meat is cooked.
5. Enjoy!

**Serve alone or with cauliflower rice!

But you don’t have to fast to enjoy the benefits of bone broth. There are countless, delicious, paleo soups you can make with the broth to keep you feeling full while still reaping the incredible, gut-healing magic of bone broth! Personally, I love to make hearty soups. Especially this time of year. Meat (sometimes multiple), veggies (as many as I can find in the house or the garden) and plenty of fresh herbs. One of my absolute favorites is this Zuppa Tuscana!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Italian sausage, browned and drained
• 4 cups Bone Broth or chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2-3 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 large russet potatoe
• 2 cups kale, diced
• 1 can full fat coconut milk, refrigerated

Instructions:

1. Brown the Italian sausage in a pan and drain.
2. Add sausage, chicken stock, garlic, onion, carrots and potatoes to the slow cooker.
3. Cover and simmer on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours until the potatoes are tender.
4. With 30 minutes left, add the kale to the slow cooker. Cover and allow the kale to cook for 30 minutes.
5. Five minutes before serving, open the can of refrigerated coconut cream and add just the solid white cream to the slow cooker. Cook for 5 additional minutes.
6. Enjoy!