There is nothing like turning a classic cuisine staple into a pretty little, nutrient dense show stopper like this Cilantro Pecan Chicken. I’m a sucker for that kind of magic. Nutrient dense dishes are particularly conducive to these slick transformations because they allow for and revel in rich ingredients. I adore biting into a fancy
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Homemade Chicken Nuggets – Paleo
My name is Monica and I am a recovering Chicken Nugget Fiend. Yes, as a youngster, I happily bounced through the golden arches for the delicious morsels. Now that I’ve peered behind the scenes of that culinary process….EEEEEEKS!!! Let’s make our own delicious and nutritious homemade chicken nuggets instead. These are fantastically fun snacks for
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Summer’s Harvest Recipe for Ratatouille
This time of year, the gorgeous summer produce keeps coming. Tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, onions, zucchini, squash, oh my! Ratatouille time. All winter long my go-to meals involve slow-cooked meat and root veggies in the crockpot, but at this time of year, ratatouille is my solution to feeding my family yummy comfort food with whatever my farmers’
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Easy Greek Meatballs Recipe
Nutrient dense food can be a challenge to fit into our modern go-go lifestyle. The good news is that easy recipes like these Greek meatballs help to ease the kitchen load and boost energy in an utterly delicious way. After my post Easy Meatballs-Nutrient Dense Food on the Go, I heard from many of you asking for
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Mongolian Beef (Healthy Chinese Food!)
I love Chinese food. I love eating with chopsticks. I love the soups, the sauces, and the fast and fresh style of cooking. I love the deep meaty flavors. So, my awakening to the ubiquitous use of rancid plant oils in most restaurant Chinese food was heartbreaking – to put it mildly. Fortunately, Asian cooking lends itself easily
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Coconut Chicken Curry Recipe
[Holistic Squid note: I love EVERYTHING that Monica makes, but I especially love when she makes magic with ingredients. In this recipe, Monica uses cauliflower as the thickener for the curry, eliminating the need for processed cornstarch or other nastiness. Savory, nutritious, and won’t leave you feeling like you ate a box of bricks –
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Grain Free Meals on a Budget: The Melt
Lots of folks these days eat grain free, gluten free, GAPS, paleo, primal, etc. Right now, I am a choose-my-own-adventure eater. I eat all kinds of real food but aim for grain free meals (especially avoiding wheat that hasn’t been traditionally prepared) because I personally consume less food and generally feel better when I don’t eat grains.
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Easy Meatballs – Nutrient Dense Food on the Go
People often ask me, “How do you always have nutrient dense food ready to dine on at home AND on the go? Where do you find the time?” I haven’t found secret pockets of time, although I’m still searching. I do however, stock my refrigerator and freezer with nutrient dense fast food. Life can be chaotic.
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Cauliflower Crust Pizza – Grain-Free
Inspired by a post I found on Pinterest, I knew I had to create the perfect cauliflower crust pizza for a grain-free alternative to the classic pizza recipe. My family has adopted cauli-mash as our much preferred alternative to heavy, pasty mashed potatoes, so I had high hopes for cauliflower pizza crust which uses cheese and
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A Healthy Pizza Recipe Your Family Will Love
When most folks think of junk food somehow pizza gets lumped into the same category as Coca Cola and Pop Rocks. Poor pizza. I beg to differ. At my house, pizza is part of our healthy diet. Italians have been eating tomato pie for hundreds of years, and traditional cultures have been eating similar flat
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Making Grilled Cheese Better
Growing up I had my favorite meals – Ellio’s frozen pizza was number one, followed closely by Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli from a can, Hungry Jack mashed potatoes, Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese, and grilled cheese sandwiches made with white ‘Italian’ bread, margarine, and Kraft Singles (notice how the word ‘cheese’ is conveniently left out the last
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Chicken And Spaghetti Squash Carbonara (Dairy and Grain Free)
Ladies and Gentlemen, do you remember pasta? (not imposter pasta). Comforting, tantilizing tendrils of spaghetti? The perfect accompaniment to wine, candle light and children who fall asleep with full happy bellies. Are you on the GAPS diet? Are you not eating dairy? Even if the answer to these questions is yes, I do not believe this means
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