Organic Eating Resources

When it comes to creating healthy and organic meals, we are always on the lookout for new resources and recipes.  While we have favorites that we like to make time and time again, we also really like trying out new recipes for friends and family.  Pintrest is a great place to find new meal options, but we also wanted to share some of our favorite websites that are full of many delicious and organic recipes!

For those who try to stick to a grain free/paleo diet, Against All Grain (a blog by Danielle Walker) shares lots of yummy recipes!  Danielle also has two great grain free cookbooks full of recipes we use on a daily basis.

Grain-Free Spaghetti and Meatballs

 

Organic Authority has a wide variety of organic recipes that cover pretty much every occasion.  Whether you are looking for a quick dinner, a delicious dessert, or a fun snack, you will find something great here!

 

Risotto with Barley and Sweet Potatoes 

We really enjoy Sprouted Kitchen because all of their recipes embrace the idea of eating whole foods and organic ingredients.  The author, Sara Forte, also has two cookbooks that make a great addition to your collection.

Honey Roasted Pears

 

If you are into plant based goods, Oh She Glows is a great blog to check out!  A majority of her recipes are  free of gluten, soy, and processed foods, making them very healthy and great for vegetarians.

 

Green Tea Lime Pie Smoothie Bowl

Eating organic and whole foods doesn't have to be difficult, and having the right resources makes it much easier.  So while you are planning your meals for this week, why not try some of the wonderful recipes these blogs and websites have to offer!?

 

Paleo Pancakes

Who doesn't love a stack of fluffy golden pancakes in the morning?  They are a Sunday brunch staple and there are so many versions that you could have a different kind almost every day of the week!  And while the traditional pancakes are always a hit, we have a great 3 ingredient paleo pancake recipe that is not only healthy and gluten free, but tastes delicious and can be eaten any time of the day :)

 

Ingredients:

• 3 large ripe bananas
• 6 eggs
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• Coconut oil for frying

Directions:

1. Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. (You could preheat more than one skillet to speed up the cooking process.) Place the bananas, eggs, coconut flour and 2 pinches of salt in the blender. Puree until smooth. The batter should be thick, but pourable. If it seems thin, add 1-2 more tablespoons of coconut flour.
2. Brush the skillet lightly with coconut oil. Pour in a 3 inch circle of batter. Shake the skillet gently to spread the batter into a 4 inch circle. Cook for 2-4 minutes until the bottom of the pancake is golden-brown and the edges are firm. Flip gently with a flexible spatula, and continue cooking another 2-4 minutes. If the bottoms turn dark, lower the heat a little.

 {image and recipe via}

Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles

As we dream of warmer weather here in the Northeast, we are also dreaming of yummy summer recipes!  While our crock pots are used multiple times during the week to make hearty stews and soups, we thought we would switch gears this week and share a light and delicious shrimp scampi with zucchini noodles!  We love this recipe because instead of pasta it calls for thinly sliced zucchini as a substitute.  This is not only great for those who can't eat gluten and grains, but for anyone looking to cut back on those processed white foods that so easily sneak into out diets!

 

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into noodles (See Kelly’s Notes)
• Chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions

Place a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and heat it for 1 minute. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook them for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add the shrimp to the pan and cook them, stirring as needed, until they are cooked throughout and pink on all sides, about 3 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and then using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a bowl, leaving any liquid in the pan.

Increase the heat to medium. Add the white wine and lemon juice to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, cooking the wine and lemon juice for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, garish with parsley and serve immediately.

{recipe and image via}

Healthy Beef & Broccoli

These days, take-out food has become an 'easy button' in our busy lives.  We often grab a quick lunch on the go, or opt for prepared food instead of a home cooked meal after a long day of work, school, and making sure the endless to-do list gets done.  But eating take-out usually isn't the healthiest option, especially when you are are picking up foods that are loaded with preservatives, refined sugars, and non-natural ingredients.   We are always on the hunt for easy recipes that mimic some of our favorite take-out options, and this beef and broccoli recipe fits the bill!  It is paleo, gluten free and super delicious :)

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut aminos
• ½ cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
• 1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
• 3 crowns of broccoli, cut into florets
• salt and pepper, to taste
• couple tablespoons of coconut oil
• ½ cup toasted cashews

Instructions

1. Whisk together coconut amines, orange juice, honey, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, arrowroot powder, and a bit of salt and pepper.
2. Place sliced flank steak in a shallow bowl and pour whisked mixture on top of the meat to cover. Place in fridge and let refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. After meat has refrigerated, place a large pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add about a tablespoon of coconut oil to the pan when hot, then add broccoli florets. Sprinkle with a little salt and mix around in the pan to help crisp up. To make sure my broccoli gets soft, I use a teaspoon of water, add it to the pan and then cover to help steam the broccoli for just 1 minute.
4. Once broccoli is cooked through to preference, remove from pan and set aside.
5. Place pan back over high heat, add a little more coconut oil then add the meat and sauce directly to the hot pan, trying not to overcrowd the bottom of the pan. Cook meat until barely any pink remains, then add broccoli back to the pan, along with toasted cashews.
6. Mix together and cook for 1 more minute. Serve!

{image and recipe via}

Paleo Banana Bread {nut and grain free!}

Whenever we have overripe bananas in the house they always get turned into banana bread.  Traditional banana bread is delicious but it has lots refined sugars and white flour, making it more of a dessert item than a breakfast bread or healthy snack.  So after a tweaking an existing recipe a bit, we now have a sugar and grain free paleo banana bread that is a total winner!

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 Cup (about 4 ripe mashed bananas)
• 2 1/2 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 tbs coconut oil (melted)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350F.
• Grease and line a loaf tin and set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl, mash your bananas and add in your honey, vanilla, melted butter/coconut oil, applesauce and eggs.
• Mix in your coconut flour and baking soda and allow to sit for two minutes. The mix will look really runny at first, but the coconut flour will soon absorb the liquid and form a thicker batter.  If your mix is extremely liquidy, add in coconut flour one teaspoon at a time (I don't recommend doing this unless your coconut flour is not very absorbent)
• Pour your banana bread mixture into your prepared loaf tin and bake for 40 minutes to an hour (keep an eye on it - cooking times will depend on your pan size) or until your loaf is cooked through and a skewer inserted into the middle removes clean.
• If your banana bread is browning too quickly but isn't cooked in the middle, cover it with foil.
• Allow to cool completely before slicing.

 

{recipe modified from here - image via}