You Are What You Eat (Day 4)

Breakfast

Chicken sausage with fresh spinach and goat cheese crumbles.

I buy organic chicken sausage (Applegate Farms has one that is really good), Trader Joe's has it as well.

Start with just a bit of coconut oil in your pan (coconut oil is the best oil for cooking with because it can withstand the high temperatures).  Olive oil is best eaten raw and I do use it for roasting veggies.  These are the only oils we use.

Cut the sausage into bite sized pieces and heat in the pan (they are already cooked).  Once it is heated, add several handfuls of fresh spinach and cover with a lid.  It won't take long for the spinach to wilt.  Stir the entire dish and spoon onto plates.  Top with crumbled goat cheese.

We usually have a piece of gluten free toast and butter with this.

Lunch

Chicken Salad with a Side of Veggies and Hummus

Now's the time to use your leftover crock pot chicken.  If you don't have enough (or any), that's ok - just boil a pack (or two, depending on the size of your family) or organic chicken thighs.

Either way, shred your chicken or put it in the food processor.  If you process it, the consistency is a little more like "baby food" but my kids don't mind and it is easy.

I do not measure this recipe, but make it to your family's palate as far as consistency.

Chicken (shredded)
Organic Mayonnaise
Celery, cut in bite sized pieces
Grapes - cut in half
Chopped walnuts
Season with salt, pepper, and dill (fresh or dried)

Mix together and serve on a large lettuce leaf with a side of cut up celery sticks, carrot sticks, and cucumber slices with hummus to dip.  (I am going to include a recipe for home made hummus which is fabulous - I like to use dried garbanzo beans and cook them myself ahead of time, but you could use canned if you like - organic from Whole Foods is in BPA free cans).

Home made Hummus

15 oz of Garbanzo Beans - soaked, dried, cooked, and cooled OR 1 15 oz can - rinsed well
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Tahini
1 small garlic clove
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
2-3 tablespoons of water
dash of paprika

"Cream" your tahini and lemon juice in a food process for about a minute and a half - makes it extra smooth.
Add garlic, olive oil, cumin, and salt and process another 30 seconds.
Add 1/2 of the garbanzo beans and process for 30 seconds, then add the other half and process again for another 2 minutes or so.
If the hummus is too thick or still has flecks of garbanzo beans (it probably will), open the top and drizzle in the water while processing until it is completely smooth.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of paprika.  It is yummy with all sorts of raw veggies!


Dinner

Grass Fed Beef Burgers with Kale Chips and Guacamole

If you don't have a grill or just want to make these in a pan or on a griddle, they taste great any way you do it.

Patty your burgers - adding just a little garlic powder to your meat.

Grill or pan fry (no oil necessary)

Serve your burgers with a side of home made guacamole, organic mixed greens, and organic sliced cheddar cheese (we use goat slices from Trader Joe's).  You could also bring out some of your hummus and veggie sticks from lunch.


Guacamole

4-5 ripe avocados
juice of 1 lime
finely chopped fresh cilantro
sea salt to taste

We like our guac very simple, so we just mash the avocados with a fork and add the other ingredients - keeping it pretty chunky.  We love it on burgers.

Kale Chips (a salty, crunchy and healthy alternative to potato chips)

Tear a head of kale into bite sized pieces (remove the middle stalk).  In a large bowl, toss with olive oil, sea salt, and a little garlic powder if you like.  Spread into a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.  Watch it closely, because you want it golden and crunchy throughout and not soggy - yet, you don't want to let it get too brown.