Millie’s One a Day
Posted: June 9, 2015 Filed under: Food and it's Impact on Our Health, Recipes | Tags: #BeyondPaleo, #smoothies, Paleo Leave a comment
For most people the idea of getting in shape or improving our health is a daunting and intimidating task…unachievable. Every choice we makes takes us further or closer to our goals.
Many need to lose weight, improve health, be more active. EVERYONE needs to improve their nutrition. No exceptions. In working with clients for 32 years, I have seen ONE food diary where the woman met all of her needs fir all nutrients. Even calcium and iron..
In this continuing column, I will give you one small item a day to tweak or choose. Achievable goals, one at a time…
One day at a time. Follow along daily, you’ll be shocked at how much healthier you are in a few months!
For today; Add a hand full of spinach to your morning smoothie.
Here’s my favorite smoothie recipe
Tropical Smoothie
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 frozen banana
1 cup frozen mango
1/3 cup coconut cream (I use Thai Kitchen organic)
1 teaspoon Metagenics Ultra Potent-C®
1 Tablespoon Amazing Grass Orac Green Superfood Powder
3 cups Coconut water
1 Tablespoon lime juice
large handful of baby spinach- I use baby spinach because of it’s mild taste. Any baby greens except kale work- it has a too strong a taste.
Blend all in blender.
Coffee, Cinnamon and Hazelnut Cakes
Posted: June 8, 2015 Filed under: Recipes | Tags: #BeyondPaleo, #Paleo Dessert, gluten-free, lactose free Leave a comment
Coffee, Cinnamon and Hazelnut Cakes
Serving Size : 8
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
3/4 cup hazelnuts
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons butter
3 teaspoons instant coffee
Preheat oven to 350F.
1) Butter iron muffin tin.
2) In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, hazelnuts, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and whizz until hazelnuts are finely ground. Add in eggs and vanilla extract and whisk pulse until batter is smooth.
3) In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Add in instant coffee powder and stir to dissolved. Add coffee=melted butter mixture to the batter and pulse until butter is completely incorporated.
4) Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.
5) Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the cakes spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
6) Take cakes out of the muffin pan and allow to cool on a wire rack
7) When ready to serve, invert cakes onto a plate and remove their wrappers. Cakes can be served at room temperature or slightly warmed.
Ethiopian Chicken Stew (Doro Wot)
Posted: June 8, 2015 Filed under: Recipes | Tags: #Ethiopian, #Healthy, #lowcarb, gluten-free, Paleo Leave a comment
A guest gifted me with some Berbere a few years ago and I began exploring Ethiopian foods. When the Berbere ran out I began making my own- the recipe is below.
Serving Size : 4
4 teaspoon ghee
2 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
5 small red onions — finely chopped
5 cloves garlic — minced
3 Tablespoon Ethiopian spice mix (called Berbere)
1 plum tomato chopped
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
8 chicken drumsticks Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper — to taste
4 hard-boiled eggs
1) Heat butter in a 6-quart saucepan over low heat. Add ginger, onions, and garlic; cook, stirring, until soft, about 30 minutes.
2) Add spice mixture and tomato; cook, stirring, until reduced and darkened, about 15 minutes.
3) Add 4 cups of water, cardamom, and chicken, season with salt and pepper; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until chicken is done, about 1 hour. Transfer chicken to a plate; cook sauce until reduced, about 15 minutes. Add eggs and warm.
4) Pour reduced sauce over chicken.
Berbere
Berbere, whose name means hot in Amharic, is a chile-spice blend that’s essential to many Ethiopian dishes, including Doro Wot and Misr Wot.
Makes about 3/4 cup
2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1⁄2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1⁄4 teaspoon whole allspice
6 white cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
1⁄2 cup dried onion flakes
5 dried chiles de árbol, stemmed, seeded, and broken into small pieces
3 Tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1) In a small iron skillet, combine coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorns, allspice, cardamom pods, and cloves. Toast spices over medium heat, swirling skillet constantly, until fragrant, about 4 minutes.
2) Let cool slightly; transfer to a spice grinder along with onion flakes and grind until fine. Add chiles, and grind with the other spices until fine.
3) Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in paprika, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Cauliflower Tots
Posted: June 5, 2015 Filed under: Recipes | Tags: #BeyondPaleo, #Healthy, gluten-free, Paleo Leave a comment
Pic from Hungry Empress
Serving Size : 4
2 cups cooked cauliflower florets — finely chopped in food processor
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 cup onion – diced small, sautéed in butter
1 cup grated potato
3 Tablespoon minced dried basil
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1/2 cup gluten breadcrumbs
2 Tablespoons butter
1) Steam a little over 2 cups raw cauliflower florets , 4 to 5 minutes or until tender but not mushy, then drain well. I put something heavy on top of it in the colander to drain it well, left it to sit while I steamed to grated potatoes.
2) Steam potatoes about 7 or 8 minutes.
3) Preheat oven to 420°F. Butter mini muffin tins.
4) In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5) Spoon 2 tablespoon of mixture in your hands and roll into small ovals. Bake for 16-18 minutes, turning halfway through cooking until golden.
Chocolate Brownie Cookies
Posted: May 29, 2015 Filed under: Recipes | Tags: #BeyondPaleo, #Chocolate, #desserts, #paleodessert Leave a comment
Yield : 36
1 pound semisweet chocolate — chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large eggs — at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup sweet rice flour — sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
12 ounces chocolate chips
1) In a large bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chopped chocolate with the butter, stirring a few times, until smooth, about 7 minutes.
2) In another large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar at medium speed until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the melted chocolate, then fold in the flour and baking powder. Stir in the chocolate chips.
3) Scrape the batter into a shallow baking dish, cover and freeze until well chilled and firm, about 2 hours.
4) Preheat the oven to 375° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working in batches, scoop 2-tablespoon-size mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
5) Bake for about 4 minutes at 375 degrees, then turn oven to 350 and continue baking cookies 15 minutes, until the cookies are dry around the edges and cracked on top.
6) Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before serving.
How to Make Rice Vinegar
Posted: May 27, 2015 Filed under: Recipes | Tags: #Beyond-Paleo, #Healthy, DIY, Paleo Leave a comment
I make many fermented products; Kombucha tea, coconut milk yogurt, beet kvass. They are very inexpensive to make from ingredients most of us have in our kitchens. And I am not buying packaging!
Rice Vinegar
4 cups organic long grain white rice
10 cups water
6 cups white sugar
½ teaspoon yeast
2 egg whites
1) Place white rice in a mixing bowl and soak them in water for about 4 hours. Cover the mixing bowl. After 4 hours, strain the rice using the clean cloth and leave the water in the mixing bowl. Refrigerate the water overnight to let it set.
2) Prepare the mixture. The next day, measure the rice water that you prepared. For every cup that you have, add ¾ cup of the white sugar to the rice water. Mix the sugar in the water well until the granules have completely dissolved.
3) Cook the mixture. Prepare your double boiler and cook the rice water and sugar mixture. This should take only about 20 minutes. Afterward, let the mixture cool. When it is cool enough, transfer the mixture into a glass container.
4) Add the yeast. For every 4 cups of the mixture that you have, add a quarter of a tablespoon of yeast. Mix it well with the other ingredients.
5) Ferment the mixture. Now you have to allow the mixture to ferment so that you can have rice vinegar. This takes about a 5 days to a week. Check the mixture to see if there are still bubbles. When the bubbles are gone, the mixture is ready.
6) Finish fermentation. You need to ferment the mixture for a second time. Before doing this, transfer the mixture into another glass container and allow it to ferment for another 4 weeks. The time for the second fermentation varies according to your taste.
7) Store the rice vinegar. When the rice vinegar is ready, strain the contents using a clean cloth and then allow it to boil again in your double boiler. The mixture may be a bit cloudy. If you want the mixture to be clear, beat in 2 egg whites for every 4 cups of the mixture before you reheat it in the double boiler.
Braised Eggplant with Garlic and Basil
Posted: May 27, 2015 Filed under: Non-Toxic Choices, Recipes | Tags: #soy-free, gluten-free, Paleo Leave a comment
From 
This IS one of the easiest eggplant dishes I’ve made. A delightful technique to keep the eggplant tender yet not mushy. Very flavorful!
I’ve made it lactose, gluten and soy free.
Serving Size : 4
1/4 cup coconut aminos — or Tamari
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon Siracha
2 teaspoon arrowroot
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 large eggplant — sliced into 1-inch squares
2 medium cloves garlic — minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1) Combine 1 1/2 cups water, coconut aminos, honey, and chili bean sauce in a small bowl and stir. Combine 1/4 cup water and the arrowroot in a separate bowl.
2) Heat the butter over a medium-high heat in a large fry pan or Dutch oven until shimmering. Add the garlic and eggplant and sprinkle with the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly softened and fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes.
3) Stir in the water, coconut aminos, honey and chili bean sauce mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle but consistent simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring or flipping eggplant occasionally, for until eggplant slices are tender and liquid has reduced by about half, about 15 minutes.
4) Stir the arrowroot and water mixture in its bowl to loosen it up. Stir it into the pan with the eggplant and allow it to thicken. Taste for seasoning, adding any extra salt, aminos, chili sauce, or honey as desired. Remove from heat and stir in the whole basil leaves. Serve immediately.
Quick Spinach Dish- Spinach with Garlic and Cherry Tomatoes
Posted: May 25, 2015 Filed under: Recipes | Tags: #BeyondPaleo, #easy recipe, #spinach, Paleo Leave a comment
Most spinach dishes are pretty quick to prepare. This one is quick, easy and delicious!
Spinach with Garlic and Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 4
3 pounds spinach
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon White wine
1 Tablespoon butter
1 pound Cherry Tomatoes- cut in half lengthwise
Salt and pepper
1) Heat butter in large saucepan or Dutch oven.
2) When butter is shimmering, but not smoking, add garlic, stir briefly until fragrant.
3) Add tomatoes, wine, cook until tomatoes are softened, about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove to bowl with slotted spoon.
4) Add spinach, sprinkle in salt and pepper and cover for two minutes.
5) Remove lid. toss spinach together well and continue to sauté until spinach is well wilted but still bright green.
6) Serve spinach topped with tomatoes.
Making Worcestershire Sauce from Scratch
Posted: May 25, 2015 Filed under: Recipes | Tags: #condiment, #Healthy, #homemade, Paleo Leave a comment
About a month ago I was in the middle of a huge cook day and discovered I was out of Worcestershire sauce. I figured it couldn’t be too hard to make. Since I had all ingredients on hand, I made it.
Let’s me say that I will NEVER buy the bottled kind again. I took very little time to make, is amazing; thick, deeply flavorful..and I bottled it myself. No need to buy it..good for me and the planet!
Worcestershire Sauce
Recipe By :MILLIE
Serving Size : 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons tamarind paste
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
3 Tablespoons onions, diced, caramelized
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 Tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons garlic
1 Tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon gin
1 Tablespoon anchovy paste
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1) Blend cooked onions in blender until liquid.
2) Whisk together the vinegars, molasses, fish sauce, tamarind paste, soy sauce, and onions. Set aside.
3) Heat a small, dry sauté pan over medium heat. Toast the spices until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.
4) In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat; then sauté the shallots until transparent and beginning to brown, 2–3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, anchovies, and reserved spices and continue to sauté just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5) Pour in the vinegar mixture and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a full simmer; then remove from the heat and let cool completely.
6) Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl and stir in the lime juice. Pour into a jar or bottle for long-term storage. Will keep in the refrigerator for 1–2 months.
Spinach Timbales
Posted: May 25, 2015 Filed under: Recipes | Tags: #Beyond-Paleo, #Healthy, dairy free, Paleo Leave a comment
Serves 4
3 tablespoons butter
1 pound tightly packed spinach leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups chopped leeks
2 whole eggs
1/3 cup coconut cream
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2) Steam spinach until well wilted but still bright green. Drain and push moisture out of spinach. Cut up with scissors well.
3) Saute leeks, salt and pepper, and cook, in butter, stirring for 3 or 4 minutes. the leeks, and cook over high heat, stirring, until the leeks are wilted.
4) In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, cream and nutmeg, and beat well with a whisk.
Grease four aluminum molds ( 1/3-cup capacity) with the remaining butter. Distribute the leak, spinach and mushroom mixture evenly in the molds. Place them in a deep skillet. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the molds. Add warm water around the molds to about 1/2-inch depth; then, cover them with aluminum foil.
Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and keep warm. To serve, unmold onto the plates holding the roast duck.
Meal Delivery Service by Millie Barnes 