Paleo Archives · Page 13 of 13 · Rachel's Nourishing Kitchen

10-Minute Broccolini with Cherry Tomatoes and Garlic

On May 8, 2014

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan

Aside from being delicious, the best part about this recipe is that you can whip it up in 10 minutes!

It’s simple, flavorful, and really good for you.

I just started cooking with broccolini in the past few months and really love it! The stalks are thinner than broccoli, so I find that I’m able to eat the whole stalk, which means less food is wasted.

Making this dish also gave us an excuse to keep using our perfectly paleo parmesan cheeze – we couldn’t stop eating it!

If you missed the post from a few months ago about broccoli, here’s why broccoli and relatives of broccoli like broccolini are so good for you! Tom Malterre, one of the most renowned nutrition experts, even calls broccoli “the DNA whisperer.”

10-Minute Broccolini with Cherry Tomatoes & Garlic

This dish was incredible! We will definitely be making it again.

Ingredients

1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
2 bunches of broccolini, trim off about a 1/2 inch on the bottom end
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 cups (about one container) cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Optional: Paleo Parmesan Cheeze

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan, and swirl to coat.
Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
Add broccolini and cook 2 minutes.
Add water and tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 3 minutes.
Add salt and black pepper; cook, uncovered, 4 minutes or until broccolini is crisp-tender but still bright green.
Top with paleo parmesan cheeze and enjoy!

Green Goddess Guacamole!

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On May 5, 2014

In Dairy-Free, My Story, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan

Think of a food you dislike.

Maybe you’ve tried it before, maybe you haven’t. Either way, you know you don’t like it, and there’s no way anyone can get you to try it…right?

Until about 4 years ago, guacamole was one of those foods for me. Why? Because I was CONVINCED that guacamole had mayonnaise in it…and I’ve always disliked mayonnaise.

One day at work, we had a healthy cooking demo taught by a health coach like me, and we were learning to make none other than…guacamole! I had all but made up my mind that I wasn’t going to try it.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long before I realized that it was NOT made with mayonnaise and that everyone else was trying it, so…

I gave in to peer pressure and was shocked to find out I LOVED IT!

What had I been missing??

Ever since that day, I’ve been an avocado and guacamole lover.

Delicious, fresh, and seasonal ingredients for this delicious guac!

Avocados are one of the healthiest foods you can eat AND are known as a beauty detox food. Here are just a few of their awesome health benefits:

Heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals promote moisturizing from the inside, which means healthy, smooth, radiant skin (a true beauty food!)
The healthy fat helps our bodies better absorb antioxidants from other fruits and veggies
The antioxidant they contain – glutathione – is a powerful cancer-fighter
The combo of good fat and fiber helps control blood sugar

My favorite ways to use avocados are in dips, soups, desserts, mixed in to salads, and (of course!) in guacamole. I found a super simple recipe that used a slightly different combo of ingredients than the usual ones, so I thought I would test it out.

Two of the other ingredients in this guac – cilantro and scallions (AKA green onions) – are also great for you. Cilantro helps the body detoxify and onions are one of the top anti-cancer GBOMBS foods, so enjoy them all you want!

Green Goddess Guacamole

Creamy guacamole goodness

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados, seeded and peeled (here’s how to cut and peel an avocado)
1 tablespoon FRESH lime juice (don’t sub the bottled kind)
3-4 tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced (also called scallions)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (add more to taste)
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Optional: 1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and mash with a fork or potato masher until you reach your desired consistency. We like ours to be a bit chunky, so we don’t mash it too much.

We love dipping fresh veggies like carrots, cucumber, celery, red peppers, and sugar snap peas into our guac, along with these tortilla chips!

Healthy & Homemade Donut Holes! {Gluten-Free, Paleo, Vegan}

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On March 19, 2014

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan

“These satisfy my sweet tooth without eating Little Debbie Donut Bites!”

“These won’t make it home!”

And finally, “So, there’s no sugar in these?”

These were just a few of the comments made by a donut-loving friend last night as he was enjoying a new treat I prepared for our church small group that we host each Tuesday.

I had never made them before, so I didn’t know what to expect. They were a huge hit, so you can bet I will be making them again, given the response! I never thought they would be compared to donut holes in terms of taste and texture, but I’ll take it!

They are SO easy to make, too. They’ll become a new staple in your house, I’m sure!

Healthy & Homemade “Donut” Holes

Mmm delicious!

The recipe is adapted from this one on the Nourishing Meals blog. Tom and Ali have some awesome gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free recipes, so I will be featuring more of them in the future.

Ingredients (see notes below regarding substitutions & where to find ingredients*)

1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup raw almond butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
unsweetened, shredded organic coconut

Directions

In the food processor fitted with the “s” blade, grind the almonds and walnuts until finely ground.
Add the dates, raisins, spices, and salt and grind to a fine meal.
Add the almond butter and vanilla extract and process again until completely mixed.
Form into balls and roll in shredded coconut.

I put mine in the fridge for about an hour, so they would firm up a little bit, but you can enjoy them right away, if you’d like!

Ground “meal” prior to rolling them into balls

*Ingredient & Substitution Notes

Can’t have walnuts or almonds? Use any other nuts or seeds in this recipe instead!
You find Medjool dates in the produce section of the grocery store OR online. We buy ours at BJs Wholesale club in a big container. Trader Joe’s also sells them.
If you don’t have cardamom, you can sub in ground ginger, more cinnamon or a combo of nutmeg and cinnamon instead.
The cheapest place I have found almond butter is at Trader Joe’s. If you can’t have almonds, sub in Sunbutter.
You can find unsweetened, shredded coconut in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or online here. We buy ours at MOMs in bulk.

I LOVE Caramel…and This Rich & Creamy Caramel Apple Dip! {Paleo, Vegan}

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On March 13, 2014

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Whether they’re from Wockenfuss, Rheb’s or Krause’s, homemade dark chocolate caramels have always been my favorite indulgence since I was a kid.

I just love the rich, creamy, buttery taste of caramel!

One of the unfortunate side effects of the typical deprivation and dieting mentality is that we feel like we have to “give up” anything that tastes sweet or satisfying.

At some point, we decided that “healthy” food just doesn’t taste good and that we have to settle for less flavor if something is deemed healthy.

Well, I refuse to give up flavor or sweets! When I cook and bake, I make sure that any recipes I prepare are delicious AND nourishing, even the sweet ones!

I came across this recipe for a raw caramel apple dip while I was on one of my favorite blogs, Nourishing Meals, and I just HAD to make it (and share it with all of you!).

Make it for yourself, your friends and family or bring it to a party or potluck. It has become one of my go to recipes for parties, and people often ask me to bring it back again. It’s super easy to make, too.

Dip your favorite fruit in it (we used some crispy, sweet organic Fuji apples), and enjoy!