Day 351- Valentine's Day Dinner

I came home after a long day of work to a delicious Valentine's dinner made by my wonderful husband. He used scallops, which I love and made a perfect gluten-free salad that was just my style. Happy Valentines day to everyone!

Baked Scallop Citrus Salad:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bay scallops
• 4 cups organic spinach
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 orange, cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup carrots, diced
• 1/4 cup shredded cabbage
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Mix olive oil, honey, rice vinegar, and mustard together and chill
2. Saute scallops in a little bit of olive oil with garlic for 3 minutes
3. Place scallops in baking dish, sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper
4. Bake scallops at 350 for about 10 minutes
5. Mix spinach, avocado and oranges with the citrus dressing
6. Top with baked scallops, and enjoy

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 349- Pepper Citrus Pecans

I found a new snack food that I love. Sahale snacks have several different flavors, but my favorite is the Valdosta pecans, with sweet cranberries, black pepper and orange zest. The problem is that buying this snack on a regular basis adds up financially. So I have decided to attempt to reproduce this snack at home, and here is what I did:

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of raw pecans
• Fresh ground pepper
• Sea salt
• Orange zest from one orange
• 2 tablespoons of currants

Directions:

1. Soak pecans in filtered water, with a dash of sea salt for 6 hours
2. Drain pecans and place on baking sheet
3. Zest one orange over the pecans
4. Sprinkle with black pepper and sea salt
5. Bake at lowest possible heat in oven for 24 hours
6. During the last 4 hours add the currants to the pecan mix.

It is not exactly the same as the Sahale blend, but it is still pretty darn good. For my blog on soaking nuts, visit my post, this is nuts!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 337- The Entire Beet

Tonight I let no beet go to waste, I used both the greens and the beet.

Roasted Golden Beets:

• 3 large golden beets, peeled and cut up into small cubes
• olive oil
• Sea Salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Coat the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil
3. Add beets and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper
4. Roast for about 20 minutes or until the beets are tender

Beet Greens:

• Beet greens from the 3 beets used above
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 teaspoon palm sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• Red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Rinse and clean the beet greens
2. In a pan saute the onions with a little bit of olive oil
3. Add the garlic, saute both until tender
4. Add the water, palm sugar, and red pepper flakes.
5. Mix
6. Add the beet greens, reduce heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes or until the greens have become tender
7. Add the vinegar and cook for a few more minutes

Day 335- Homemade Baja Mahi-Mahi Tacos

Baja Mahi-Mahi Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 pound mahi-mahi fillets
• Coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Slaw
• Mexican crema
• Corn Tortillas

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut oil onto the bottom a baking dish. Cut mahi-mahi into small pieces, sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Slaw:

• 1/2 head of cabbage
• 1 red onion
• 2 jalapenos
• 2 teaspoons honey
• sea salt
• 1 lime
• 1 bundle of cilantro

Directions:

Chop up cabbage, onion, cilantro, and jalapenos (I used a food processor to make sure that they were finely chopped). Mix in honey and sea salt. Take the lime and squeeze it into the mixture. Refrigerate for a half an hour before serving.

The Slaw

Mexican Crema:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Lime zest from one lime
• Lime juice from 1/2 lime

Directions:

Mix the sour cream, lime zest, and lime juice in bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Place the cooked mahi on top of the tortillas. Spoon the slaw over the fish and then add a dab of the mexican crema and enjoy.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 325- Baked Kale Chips

Baked Kale Chips

Ingredients (amount of each ingredient depends on your taste and how much you want to make):

• Kale, middle stem part cut out, and leaves ripped into bite size pieces
• Olive oil
• Sea Salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Place kale on baking sheet lined with parchment paper

• Drizzle kale with olive oil and sea salt
• Bake kale for about 15 minutes or until the edges have turned slightly brown and kale has become crispy (make sure not to burn it), rotate kale periodically

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 322- Baked Brussels Sprouts

Baked Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of brussels sprouts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Trader Joe's Thyme, Lemon and Bay Sea Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cut off the ends of the brussels sprouts and cut in half
3. Put brussels sprouts in a sauce pan of boiling water, let boil for about 5 minutes
4. Coat a baking dish with olive oil, place the brussels sprouts cut side down
5. Grind the Trader Joe's salt over the top of the brussels sprouts
6. Let bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the brussels sprouts start to turn slightly brown

P.S~ Brussels Sprouts are a great source of Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Manganese, Folate, glucosinolates (helps with detoxification), antioxidant support... just to name a few

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 316- Vegetable Bean Soup

Vegetable Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• Trader Joe's 17 Bean and Barley mix
• 1 head of cabbage, cut into small chunks
  
• 1 cartoon of organic chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 tomatoes, cut into small chunks
  
• 1 medium potato, diced
  
• 1 medium onion, diced
  
• 3 small zucchini, diced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Soak beans in filtered water with a little bit of sea salt overnight
2. In crock pot add beans and chicken or vegetable stock
3. Let cook on medium heat for about a hour
4. Add vegetables and water if needed
5. Add in dried herbs, salt and pepper
6. Let cook on medium to low heat for about 6 hours or until vegetables and beans are tender

Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP

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Day 308- Cucumber Salad

I stole this recipe from my friend, Sofia. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 seedless cucumbers
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons grainy mustard (if gluten-free make sure it is specified on the label)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Cut cucumbers into thin rounds (a mandolin works great for this)
2. Toss with 2 teaspoons salt in a colander and let drain for about 30 minutes. Squeeze excess liquid from cucumbers
3. Whisk the sugar, vinegar, olive oil and mustard together in a large bowl, then stir in cucumbers.
   
4. Let cucumbers chill for about 2 hours in the mixture
5. Drain cucumbers, saving the excess marinade to pour over cucumbers after serving if you choose.
   

Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP

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Day 304- Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole

Adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of fresh green beans
• 1.5 bags of sliced mushrooms
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• Coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/3 cup gluten-free flour
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons dry sherry (found it in the wine section of the grocery store)
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoon buttermilk powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Coat pan with coconut oil
3. Add green beans and onions and cook at medium heat
4. Mix in milk, flour, sherry, sour cream, and all seasonings.
5. Cook until green beans become tender
6. Transfer mixture into baking dish and bake for about 15 minutes or until mixture becomes slightly crispy

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 303- Lemon-Herb Roasted Beets

Lemon-Herb Roasted Beets

Adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients:

• 6 medium red beets
• Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• Fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Peel and cut beets into cubes
3. Place beets in baking dish
4. Cover beets with olive oil
5. Sprinkle oregano, rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper over the beets
6. Cover the beets and place in oven, mixing occasionally
7. Cook for about 20-25 minutes or until beets become tender

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 301- Balsamic Green Beans and Portobellos

Balsamic Green Beans and Portobellos

Adapted from Gluten-free Goddess

Ingredients:

• 4-5 cups fresh green beans (ends trimmed)
• Coconut oil
• 2 large portobello mushrooms
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar (I used Trader Joe's brand)

Directions:

1. Melt coconut oil in pan, enough to coat the pan.
2. Add green beans
3. Cut up portobello into small cubes
4. Saute on medium heat until beans and mushrooms are tender
5. Coat vegetables with balsamic vinegar, I used about 1/4 cup but you can add more or less depending on your taste.
6. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 299- Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

Adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients:

• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon Freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Peel and cut potatoes into cubes
3. Place potatoes in a baking dish, add butter, maple syrup, lemon, and salt and pepper
4. Cover potatoes with a lid and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until potatoes are tender

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 297- Wild Rice Holiday Stuffing

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp fresh thyme
• 4 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• ½ lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, minced

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the wild rice, sea salt, and thyme. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until rice is tender.
2. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, sauté carrots, celery, and onion in oil, until almost tender. Add the mushrooms. Sauté 5 minutes longer.
3. Add vegetables to wild rice.
4. Place inside of turkey and follow turkey baking

Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP
instructions.

Day 296- Holiday Spicy Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs. sweet potatoes (4-5 large)
• 2 Tbsp butter or ghee
• 2 Tbsp pure agave syrup
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Pierce each sweet potato in several places with a fork. Place directly on the oven rack and roast until soft, approximately 45-60 minutes.
3. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
4. Slip off the skins and cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch slices. Transfer to a large bowl.
5. Add butter or ghee. Smash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher or fork until fluffy (make sure some lumps remain, however).
6. Add agave syrup, chili powder, cayenne pepper, ginger, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 295- Gluten-Free Holiday Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1 cup zucchini, diced
• 2 large celery stalks, diced
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 loaves gluten-free bread, diced into 1-inch cubes and toasted
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Sauté the onion, carrots, zucchini, and celery in coconut oil on medium-low heat until they are translucent.
2. Add the garlic, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Stir these in and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat to cool.
3. Preheat oven to 425°F.
4. Bring the chicken stock to a boil on high heat. Place the egg yolk in a bowl and slowly add the chicken stock to the egg yolk while whisking the mixture.
5. Add the cooled vegetable-and-herb mixture into the stock-and-egg mixture. Toss the bread cubes into this combined mixture and stir to coat the bread.
6. Add the sea salt and pepper and toss the bread again. Place all of this into a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Take a toothpick and stick it into the stuffing. If it comes out clean, the stuffing is done. If not, bake until the toothpick comes out clean.

Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 294- Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1-2 Tbsp organic, unrefined coconut oil
• 1 head of cauliflower, chopped
• ¼ cup water
• Sea salt to taste
• Lemon juice to taste

Preparation:

1. Sauté onion, garlic, and cayenne pepper in oil.
2. Add cauliflower and water.
3. Simmer until tender.
4. Use a masher to purée cauliflower.
5. Add sea salt and lemon juice.

Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 267- Spicy Tomato Egg Pappardelle Pasta

Here is a new pasta recipe...but I have to admit the pappardelle noodles are not gluten-free :(

Ingredients:

• 1 bag pappardelle noodles from Trader Joe's
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 jalapenos, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 jar or tomato sauce
• cayenne pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 teaspoons basil
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 8 large shrimp

Directions:

1. Cook noodles according to directions
2. In a sauce pan saute onion and garlic
3. Add bell pepper and jalapeno
4. Add tomato sauce and spices, cook until it starts to bubble
5. Brush shrimp with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, place on hot grill until cooked
6. Place sauce and shrimp on top of noodles, and enjoy!

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 247- Gluten-Free Pasta with Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1 package of brown-rice pasta
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 5 green olives, sliced
• 1 red chili pepper, diced
• 3 artichoke hearts, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 package of Trader Joe's chicken meatballs (sun-dried tomato, basil, and provolone)
• Fresh basil
• 1 jar tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions
2. Bake meatballs in the oven at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes
3. In sauce pan, sauté onion and garlic
4. Add chili and bell peppers, olives, and artichokes, cook until softened
5. Pour in tomato sauce, cayenne pepper, and oregano.
6. Use the basil to top the dish when ready to serve

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 245- Halloween Recipe: Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Last night we carved Pumpkins and made sure that we saved the pumpkin seeds so that we could roast them later for a healthy snack.

• Rinse pumpkin seeds to remove the pumpkin slim and leftover pulp.
• I used a coconut oil spray to coat a baking dish, you can do that or use butter, coconut oil, or olive oil.
• Heat the oven to 200 degrees
• Coat with pumpkin seeds with celtic sea salt
• Roast pumpkin seeds until crunchy, but not burnt - about 20 minutes

Health benefits of Pumpkin seeds or Pepitas:

• May promote prostate health- pumpkin seed contain carotenoids, omega-3 fatty acids, and zinc, which all may help to keep the prostate healthy
• Protection for men's bones- zinc has been linked to bone mineral density
• Anti-inflammatory properties
• A rich source of healthful minerals, protein, and monounsaturated fat
• Lowering affects on cholesterol- Phytosterols found in pumpkin seeds are believed to reduce blood levels of cholesterol and enhance the immune response.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP

Day 241- Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 organic chicken breast
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes
• 2 cans (rinsed) black beans
• 1/2 bag frozen corn (avoid if gluten-free)
• 1 packet of Trader Joe's Taco seasoning
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 jalapeno, diced
• 1 carton organic free-range chicken stock
• 1 cup water

Optional Toppings:

• 1 avocado, diced
• shredded cheese
• crumbled tortilla chips
• Creme fraiche

Directions:

1. Boil chicken for about 20 minutes or until no longer pink.
2. Using two forks shred the chicken
3. In crock pot add all the ingredients except chicken
4. Cook on high for about 2 hours, add chicken, and continue to cook for awhile longer
5. Serve with desired toppings

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP