Garlic Mashed "Potatoes"

By:  Maria

For some, Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes.  For Pete's sake, who doesn't like mashed potatoes?!

 Well, unfortunately, there are some people that - when they eat potatoes - experience GI problems (although some don't realize that the bloating, gas, stomach discomfort after eating potatoes isn't normal!).  Potatoes contain a natural toxin called glycoalkaloids (some refer to it as an anti nutrient) that, in some folks, irritates the intestinal tract and can leave them with moderate to downright meal-stopping discomfort.  Another reason why some decide to forgo the potato is because of the natural tendency to gain weight when they are a common/frequent part of their diet.

OK, so why post a recipe for mashed potatoes?!

Although the photo above looks like mashed potatoes, it truly isn't.  The secret ingredient used to replace the potato is low in carbs, high in nutrients and oh-so-tasty!

Cauliflower!

Before you turn your head and completely dismiss the recipe, let me tell you that when I first introduced this to my family (without enlightening them about the switcheroo); upon first taste, they knew something was up, but kept shoveling forkfuls of mashed cauliflower in their mouths as they asked whether they were potatoes - success!

Try this and you won't be disappointed.

1 head of cauliflower (florets cut up)

2-6 cloves of roasted garlic (suit your garlic palate and use whatever amount you desire)

1-2 tblsp organic butter or clarified butter or even coconut milk (depending on your taste buds)

sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat a stock pot with water to boiling and place a steam basket inside. Place the florets and garlic in the steaming basket and salt both to taste.  Cover with lid and steam until thoroughly softened (about 10 minutes).  Remove and drain excess water.  Dump everything into your food processor - including butter and pepper (adding a pinch of nutmeg is also delicious!) (doing this in batches is a-ok), process until creamy smooth (this is where I might add some coconut milk to make it creamy).

Individual Potato Stacks

By: Maria



Individual-sized anything when trying to watch how much we eat during the holiday's takes the guesswork out of the how-much-should-I-eat equation.  This recipe is so easy (3 ingredients!), so basic and SO delicious, it will become a frequent side dish to many meals.  Feel free to double or triple the recipe to accommodate the number of people you will be serving.

Ingredients

2-3 medium potatoes, thinly sliced (no need to peel!)

Coarse sea salt and pepper

3/4 c coconut milk

Brush the inside of 6 muffin cups with either coconut oil or clarified butter. Place a couple of slices into each muffin cup, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat with a couple of slices of potato and salt and pepper, until each cup is full.

Pour one tablespoon of coconut milk over each potato stack.

Bake @ 400 degrees until potatoes are golden brown (test by piercing with knife - should go in easily!) - about 30-35 minutes.

Once baked, loosen edges with knife or narrow spatula before taking out of muffin pan.

Voila!

These are delicious warm, right out of the oven, but we have had these as leftovers - cold - and they are a great little snack.

Stuffin Muffin

By:  Maria

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and although we all look forward to spending time with family and friends, we do not look forward to the guilt we might feel after eating a meal full of processed ingredients, sugar, and industrial oils that leave us regretting it all!

The next few posts will be dedicated to recipes you can (and should) make without experiencing the guilt.  Filled with ingredients your palate will enjoy and your body will not regret.

Stuffing is probably one of the most eagerly anticipated dishes at the table.

This year, instead of opting for the same ol' boxed stuffing(gasp!) or the traditional stuffing with less-than-favorable ingredients; why not try one of these recipes for your Thanksgiving meal?

The bonus?

If you bake these in muffin cups, the serving sizes are kept reasonable and the likelihood of overeating is significantly reduced.

#1 Sausage & Vegetable Stuffing

1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
1 tblsp Coconut oil
1 large leek, chopped (white and pale green parts only)
1 large organic apple (granny smith, pink lady) peeled, cored & chopped
1 cup chopped organic celery
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 medium organic yellow onion, chopped
1-8oz pkg white button mushrooms
1-1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
2 tblsp coconut flour
1 tsp chopped dried rosemary
1/3 cup chopped organic italian parsley
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup organic chicken broth
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped and lightly toasted (in oven or on a skillet)

 Brown sausage in a skillet. Transfer to a large bowl.
 In same skillet, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add leeks, apples, celery, carrots, onions, mushrooms and poultry seasoning. Saute until leeks and carrots soften, about 6 minutes.
 Add veggies to the bowl of sausage. Stir to combine.
 Add coconut flour, rosemary, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
 Beat eggs with chicken broth. Pour over sausage mixture and stir to combine.
 Spoon stuffing into a greased baking dish or fill muffin cups, sprinkle top with pecans, and cover with foil.
 Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.
 Uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes to brown the top

#2 Pecan, Bacon &  Squash Stuffing

2 cups pecans

 2 tblsp clarified butter or coconut butter, cut into small pieces

4 cups mushrooms, chopped

2 cups squash (any variety), diced

6 slices nitrite/nitrate free smoked bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

4 celery stalks, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

4 leeks (white and pale-green parts only), chopped into 1/2-inch pieces, rinsed well

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups organic low-sodium chicken stock

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven for 7 minutes. Let cool slightly; coarsely chop.

Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or muffin cups with some clarified butter or coconut butter. Cook bacon in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until almost crisp, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add celery and leeks. Cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in thyme and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt; season with pepper. Transfer to a large bowl.  Add mushrooms and squash; mix.

Return skillet to medium-high heat, and add stock; bring to a simmer, scraping up brown bits and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add to bowl with bacon-vegetable mixture. Stir in eggs. Gently mix in pecans. Transfer to baking dish/muffin cups. Dot top with butter (optional). Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes.

Carnitas!

By:  Maria



Typically, Carnitas would be made with pork. However, I like this recipe using beef (grassfed beef is even better!), but using a lean pork roast works if that is what you prefer.

Ingredients

2-4lb. beef/pork roast

4 garlic cloves

1 fresh jalapeno pepper

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1 lg. bottle of beer (you can also just use a broth, but flavor will be different)

white corn tortillas

toppings for carnitas (tomatoes, olives, avocado)

Insert garlic cloves randomly into roast; place in crockpot with whole pepper and half a bunch of cilantro which has been chopped. Season to taste. Pour in beer(or broth). Cook on high 4-6 hours (if I'm going to be out of the house all day, I will use the low setting and cook for 8-10 hours). Remove meat; shred and place back into crockpot.

Serve with warmed/steamed tortillas and top with your choice of toppings. (my girls like theses topped with cheese, tomatoes, onions and I will also top with any homemade salsa I have on hand - like a fresh mango salsa - mmmm).

Sweet Potato Pancakes



If you are a regular reader of this blog (and we hope you are!), you are most likely an athlete and most likely care about the food you consume to fuel your athletic endeavors.  You work out hard and need to replenish the empty glycogen levels with carbohydrates and preferably from favorable  carbohydrates that do not leave you feeling sluggish.

Enter the sweet potato!

The sweet potato is a complex carb that is high in beta carotene, fiber and vitamins B6 & C. 

If you take a couple of these tasty treats with you to the gym and consume them within 30 minutes post workout, you will be refilling glycogen levels efficiently!

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded
Sea salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried herbs of choice
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 to 3 tablespoons coconut oil (clarified butter works great also!)

Place shredded sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic and herbs.  Mix well. Toss in minced onion. Pour in egg and mix until egg completely coats sweet potatoes.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Working in batches, and using more oil as needed, use 1/2 cups sweet potato batter to make each pancake.

Cook, covered, for 5 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Remove to a platter and serve immediately.

**You can also make these with a 1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon**

Bon appetite!

Season of Sugar

By: Maria

Halloween is here and will be behind us before you know it - which means Thanksgiving and Christmas are looming, which also means we begin the perilous journey through the season of sugar. There are alarming statistics out there that the average American can put on 5-10 pounds during the holiday season! I like to think those of you reading this blog and following the Salus lifestyle are above average and perfectly able to rise above those statistics with a little help from us - you with me here??

Let's not be part of that statistic - deal??.

Realistically, some (or many) of us will be attending holiday gatherings, office parties, family functions where the main focus of the celebration will be food - unfortunately, that food will be the exact source of the 5-10 pound weight gain.

In order to avoid being part of that statistic, here are a few tips to help navigate through the peril:

Halloween: We are doing something different at our house this year - serving hot apple cider and 100% beef hot dogs. For those that refuse to stray from tradition and have purchased candy, throw away any leftover candy so you don't have the tempation sitting on your counters - it WILL be eaten! I would suggest to take it to work to share with others, but if I wouldn't encourage you to eat it, I wouldn't encourage you to share it with fellow friends. Be kind to them also.

If you haven't purchased your candy yet - hooray!  You have avoided the temptation of candy bags sitting around waiting to be eaten.  Alternatively, if there is such a thing, purchase candy that you do NOT like - this way, the temptation will not be an issue.  .

Thanksgiving Meal: Load up on your protein source first with a healthy dose of green salad and veggies that are not loaded with sugars, processed creams, etc. If you're hosting the meal, make every delicious dish only with real food and make some gluten-free rolls/dessert - you will NOT regret that. If you will be eating the meal elsewhere, why not bring one or two dishes that you have prepared and load up on the turkey and your own dish, that way, when dessert is being served, you can have a small piece without having had sabotaged yourself completely. Better yet, make a gluten-free dessert to bring (and there are PLENTY of delicious ones)!

Christmas Meal: Same rules apply here. Whether attending or hosting your Christmas dinner, make a commitment to prepare healthy alternatives to the traditional menu items. You would be surprised how delicious those meals can be and everyone will be happy to know they are eating clean, real food!

Parties: Eating a full meal before heading to the party will alleviate much of the temptation to overindulge in unfavorable foods. If you drink alcohol, have a glass of water prior to the alcoholic beverage. If you are going to eat, choose good foods like shrimp cocktail and raw veggies. Or, it's easy to bring a plate of appetizers for everyone to share - that way, you control ingredients.

If you make a commitment to yourself (challenge your spouse/friend to do this with you - it helps!) and adhere to eating real foods the majority of the time through the Season of Sugar, you will still be able to enjoy those cheats without having to dig yourself out of a deep nutritional grave. Don't make choices that will put you in the weight-gaining statistics!

 

Keep checking back for upcoming recipes that will make holiday meal planning healthy, nutritious and delectable!



Insulin Resistance and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

By: Maria

Autism and ASD are neurological disorders that have a strong but poorly understood genetic basis. It surfaces in the first 3 years of life and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.

Although a very active area of research, the precise cause is still unknown, but there seems to be a common suggestion that there are more than likely a combination of factors.

One area of interest has been diet - specifically the effects of gluten (wheat, rye and barley) and casein (milk, cheese and other dairy products).

A recent theory comes from Michael Stern, a Rice University biochemist, who believes the same processed foods that causes diabetes may also cause autism. Stern also suggests that glucose tolerance in pregnant women may be a subject of more earnest interest in light of his findings.

Dr. Stern found a compelling connection between diabetes and autism's impaired glucose tolerance and hyperinsulinemia and states; "It will be very easy for clinicians to test my hypothesis...they could do this by putting autistic children on low-carbohydrate diets that minimize insulin secretion and see if their symptoms improve."

The same could be said for the gluten and casein theory.

Read more here.

This real-life testimonial is certainly remarkable as is this one.

 

 

Sources:

Pubmed

Science Daily/ Rice University (2011, October 19).

NCBI

nih.gov