Megan Rand

Tag: recipe

  • Warm Apple Slices with Coconut Cream

    Warm Apple Slices with Coconut Cream

     

    Apple pie has always been my favorite dessert during the holidays.  I rarely have the time or patience to make a gluten-free apple pie, so this is my busy mom’s version of apple pie.  There are no excuses when it comes to this recipe because this is the simplest dessert ever!  Want something sweet after dinner? You can easily throw this together without much preparation (you just need to have coconut milk in the refrigerator!).

     

    In my practice we try to avoid deprivation. Instead we find a way to upgrade the foods that we lean on for comfort.  If you usually have ice-cream or cookies for dessert, try something like this instead!

     

    Warm Apple Slices with Coconut Cream

    Makes 2 servings

    1 can coconut milk, refrigerated for several hours

    1 teaspoon coconut oil

    2 apples, cored and sliced

    1 teaspoon raw honey

    1 teaspoon cinnamon

    1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

     

    Place a can of coconut milk in the refrigerator for several hours. The coconut milk fats will harden. Scoop this cream off of the top.

     

    COMBINE THE INGREDIENTS. Add coconut oil to a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the apple slices. Warm for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to two serving bowls. Top with coconut cream (the hardened coconut milk fat), raw honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

     

    Enjoy!

     

    Photo credit: Primal Palate

  • Hormone Helping Coconut Chips

    Hormone Helping Coconut Chips

     

    As Alex of Dig Primal and I have been working on the content for our Healthy Hormones Group Program for the last few months, my favorite part of the process is that I get to learn the tips and tricks that she uses too! We all have different tools that we pick up along the way and I think that it is important to have a really varied toolbox for my clients. Each person that I work with is so uniquely different in their bio-individual and genetic makeup that often a suggestion that works amazingly for one person will leave another feeling sick. A supplement that gives me energy though the roof might cause you to fall asleep at your desk. That is all a part of the puzzle!! I love learning lots of different options, recipes and suggestions so that we can find the perfect combination for each person.

     

    Alex shared this recipe with me for Hormone Helping Coconut Chips and I can’t get enough! I love incorporating coconut flakes into my diet for a lot of reasons. For one, they have an amazing composition of healthy fats, protein, and fiber. Not only does this combination of macronutrients help keep you full longer after meals (which also helps prevent unhealthy snacking you weren’t actually intending), but fueling your body with such balanced caloric intake is great for the hormonal system. Additionally, the fatty acids found in coconut products directly play a role in healthy hormone synthesis so their presence in the diet greatly increases the success of all your other hormone-helping interventions; after all, it makes sense that if you don’t have the building blocks to create hormones, no amount of adjunctive therapies are going to help your cause in the long term.

     

    The spices found in this recipe work through a variety of mechanisms to help the endocrine and adrenal system along. Since glucose metabolism is a huge problem in people with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal dysfunction (which is often simply referred to as “adrenal fatigue” but is actually an incredibly limited way to look at the problem since it encompasses so much more than the adrenals…no wonder people have a hard time treating it on their own!), the cayenne, turmeric, and cinnamon are in here to help with the proper use and balance of sugar in the body.

     

    As an added bonus, cayenne pepper and turmeric are incredibly effective in tempering the inflammatory response in the body due to stress, high glucose levels, and underlying hormonal imbalances (see how they all work off each other??), incorporating these spices into meals regularly can be really helpful.

     

    Ingredients:

     

    • 2 cups coconut flakes
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 tablespoon ghee (replace with coconut oil if you can’t tolerate dairy products)
    • 5 tablespoons raw honey

     

    Steps:

     

    1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
    2. Place your coconut flakes into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
    3. Add in the cayenne pepper, ground turmeric, and ground cinnamon to the coconut flakes and stir well so that all the spices are well distributed (trust me when I say that you do not want a big bite of cayenne pepper down the line).
    4. Place the tablespoon of ghee (or coconut oil) into a small bowl and microwave it until the ghee has melted.
    5. Add the honey and vanilla extract to your melted ghee and mix them all together.
    6. Slowly pour your honey, ghee, and vanilla extract mixture of the spice-dusted coconut flakes. Mix it all together until everything is evenly distributed.
    7. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and evenly spread your coconut flake mixture over the entire area. You don’t want big clumps so take a few moments to spread it all out over the entire baking sheet.
    8. Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes.
    9. Take out and let cool.
    10. I stored mine in a glass tupperware container.

     

    Want to learn more fun and delicious recipes that can also help support your adrenal glands and balance hormone? The Healthy Hormones Group Program is starting Sept 15th!!!

     

    [image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Healthy-Hormones-Group-Program-Logo.png” raw=”true” alignment=”center” margin_left=”0″ margin_right=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”0″ width=”244″ height=”103″]

     

     

  • My Two Favorite Recipes for Chia Seeds

    My Two Favorite Recipes for Chia Seeds

     

    I see chia seeds everywhere now. They are in drinks, in the bulk aisle, in cereals and baby foods. But, it wasn’t always like this. When I was first introduced to chia seeds by my running coach in Hawaii it was not available in the local stores yet and I would order it online. At the time I had to order 20lbs of it in bulk! That is a lot of chia seeds.

     

    Luckily among our running friends chia was a hot commodity. The book Born to Run inspired this love for chia seeds since we all wanted to be able to easily run 50-100 miles like the Tarahumara. Chia was a dietary stable of the Tarahumara, the Native American people of northwestern Mexico who were known for their long-distance running ability.

     

    I can’t say that the chia seeds made running a marathon easy, but I was munching on chia during my one successful marathon in Honolulu. I was enjoying the chia seeds, but my running partner wasn’t quite as pleased since she had the “ch-ch-ch chia” tune in her head for the last 15 miles! Hey, whatever you have to do to stay distracted, I think I might have done her a favor.

     

    If you aren’t convinced yet, here are the top reasons why I love chia seeds:

    • According to Dr. Andrew Weil, chia is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids and provides fiber as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.
    • Great for travel. They don’t need to be ground, so you can pack them in your suitcase and have them readily available to make chia pudding for breakfast or a snack in your hotel room. You can also pack travel size containers of almond milk (if checking luggage), as well as nuts and just pick up fresh fruit in your destination city.
    • Hangover Cure. Had a little too much to drink? 1-2 Tbsp of chia seeds in a glass of lemon water before going to bed does the trick for me. Not only are you rehydrating, but the chia seeds help absorb and flush out the extra alcohol.
    • Can help pull excess estrogen out of the body. You can read more about the anti-cancer effects of chia (and flax seeds) here by Dr. Furhman.

    [image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/IMG_4337-573×860.jpg” raw=”true” alignment=”right” margin_left=”10″ margin_right=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”0″ width=”250″ height=”375″]

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    My Basic Chia Water

    For 1 serving:

    • 2 cups water
    • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
    • ½ lemon, lime or tablespoon Cranberry Concentrate

     

    Add water to a large glass first and then chia seeds. Stir or shake (I like to use a jar with a lid) the mixture until the chia seeds are fully hydrated. When fully hydrated they will be evenly suspended throughout. This should take about 10 minutes. Add your lemon, lime, Cranberry Concentrate (or all 3!!) and enjoy!!

     

    Not sure that you want to drink this? Chia seed pudding is also a good option and is much more delicious than it sounds!

     

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    Chia Pudding Recipe

    For 1-2 servings:

    • 1 cup coconut, almond, or hemp milk
    • 2-3 tablespoons chia seeds
    • 1 banana
    • ½ cup strawberries (frozen are OK)
    • Handful of almonds or walnuts, if desired
    • Cinnamon, to taste

     

    Mix all the ingredients together and let them sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Stir after a few minutes, as the chia seeds are “gelling” into a pudding-like consistency. Let it sit in the refrigerator about 20 minutes or until ready to eat.

    If you find the pudding too thick, you can add more milk or a little water. If you find the pudding too thin, add more chia seeds or any of the other ingredients to make it thicker. You really can’t go wrong with chia pudding, which is why I love making it so much.

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    Are you singing ch-ch-ch-chia right along with me?

     

    What are your favorite recipes for chia seeds? We’d love to hear!!

  • Asparagus, Beet and Carrot Hash

    Asparagus, Beet and Carrot Hash

     

    (Makes 2-3 Servings)

     

    1 tablespoon coconut oil

    ½ cup chopped beets (use small beets)

    1 large carrot chopped small

    3 to 4 asparagus spears, chopped

    1 small onion, thinly sliced

    1 sweet pepper, chopped

    ½ teaspoon garlic powder

    1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar

    Sea salt to taste

    Black pepper to taste

    For top: Egg, Chicken or 1/2 avocado

    [image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IMG_4263-860×573.jpg” raw=”true” alignment=”center” margin_left=”0″ margin_right=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”1″ width=”750″ height=”500″]

     

    Chop the vegetables. Wash and peel your beets (be sure to use small beets as these are easier to cook and have a sweeter taste). Chop into bite-sized pieces. Chop your carrots. Chop your asparagus, making sure to remove the tough, woody ends. Chop your onions and sweet peppers.

    Sauté the vegetables. Heat a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped beets and carrots. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until tender.  Add the asparagus, onion, sweet pepper, garlic powder, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and black pepper. Sauté until the onions and peppers are soft.

    To top it off: Add an over-easy egg, chicken breast or 1/2 avocado.

    To save this for later Pin it here:

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  • Simple Radish Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

    Simple Radish Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

    (Makes 2 Servings)

    2 cups mixed greens

    ½ bunch watercress

    ½ cup cucumber, chopped

    2 to 3 radishes, thinly sliced

    ¼ cup parsley, chopped

     

     TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

     

    1 large Roma tomato

    1 to 2 sundried tomatoes

    ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

    1 scallion

    1 teaspoon basil

    1 teaspoon oregano

    1/8 cup fresh parsley, chopped

    1/8 cup fresh cilantro

    1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar

    Sea salt to taste

    Black pepper to taste

     

    Make the vinaigrette. Add your fresh tomato, sundried tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, scallion, basil, oregano, parsley, cilantro, raw apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and black pepper. Blend until well incorporated. Set to the side to allow the flavors to marinate for at least 10 minutes.

     

    Prepare your salad. Wash your mixed greens and add them to a bowl. Then wash the watercress. Remove thick tough ends of the watercress and place in a salad bowl. Add radishes, cucumber, and parsley. Mix and top with your tomato vinaigrette.

  • Berry Mood Stabilizer

    Berry Mood Stabilizer

     

    1 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk

    1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries or blueberries

    1 Teaspoon maca powder

    1 Tablespoon almond butter

    1 handful of spinach

    1 Tablespoon raw, organic honey or stevia to taste (optional)

    Blend and Enjoy!