Chocolate granola

5 cups rolled oats
1 cup coconut chips
1/2 c maple syrup
1/2 cup honey
6 tablespoons melted coconut oil
4 t. Vanilla
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Dash salt
1 t cinnamon

Dark Chocolate chunks
Freeze dried strawberries

Mix oats and coconut. In separate bowl mix wet ingredients. Mix all together and lay on sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 30-40 min turning every 15 min. Add chocolate and strawberries after granola has cooled. Strawberries are optional.

Thai Beef Salad

If you use fresh ingredients, you will find that this may be one of your favorite salads or way to cook beef. This seriously is one of the best things you will put in your mouth! There's lots of great flavor! Sooooo good!!

Ingredients:

1 large shallot, sliced into thin rings
3 T. lime juice (from 2 limes)
1 1/2 tsp. Kosher or Real salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. light brown sugar, divided (The original recipe calls for 4 tsp. but we cut it in half. It's better. To make it refined sugar free, you can use a tsp. of honey or coconut sugar)
1 1/2 lb. organic, grass fed skirt steak, trimmed and cut into 4 to 6 pieces (Ribeye works too.)
1 T. avocado, organic unrefined cold pressed coconut oil, or olive oil
1 T. oyster sauce
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 - 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
1/2 - 1 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Combine shallot and lime juice in large bowl; let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2.  Meanwhile, stir together salt, black pepper and 1 tsp. of brown sugar in a small bowl. Pat steak dry with paper towels, and rub with salt-sugar mixture.
3. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high until smoking, about 5 minutes.
4. Cook steak in hot oil, in batches until charred and desire degree of doneness is reached, 2 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to cutting board, and let rest 10 minutes.
5.  Meanwhile, add oyster sauce, crushed red pepper, and remaining 1 tsp. sugar to the shallot mixture, and stir until sugar dissolves. Thinly slice steak against the grain, and add steak and any accumulated juices to shallot mixture. Add tomatoes, cilantro, and mint; toss to combine. Transfer to a platter, and garnish with more cilantro.
Serves: 4
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minuts

Kale and Wild Rice Salad

Brooke found this recipe from Two Peas and a Pod blog and we really like it. Enjoy!

Ingredients for the Salad:
1 large bunch kale (Lacinato kale is a softer kind that may be preferred)
1 tsp. olive oil
pinch Kosher or Real salt
1 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup cooked wild rice
1 large apple, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Ingredients for the dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
dash of salt and ground black pepper

Directions:
In a large bowl, add the kale, olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. Massage the kale with your hands until the kale softens, about 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked wild rice, apple, avocado, dried cranberries, almonds, and goat cheese. Gently toss.

To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, and mustard in a small bowl or jar. Whisk until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.

Drizzle dressing over the salad and gently toss. Serve immediately.

If you don't have wild rice, brown rice will work too. If you don't like goat cheese, feta cheese is also good. The salad is best the day it is made, but you can keep it in the refrigerator in a container for up to one day and it is still good.

Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
2 quarts water
2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
1-2 tsp. of salt
pepper
2 onions diced
1/2 turnip
1/2 parsnip
2 stalks of celery and leaves
5 carrots
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
cabbage - desired amount
1/2 green pepper
fresh cilantro
3 red potatoes or 3/4 cup cooked noodles
* You can add: green beans, corn, any kind of bean, hominy, barley, or anything else you want.

Instructions:
Simmer for 30 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for another hour or so until veggies are tender then add 1/4 cup butter and serve.

Healthy Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:

1 T.          dried parsley
1 tsp.       garlic powder
1 tsp.       onion powder
1/4 tsp.    ground black pepper
1/2-1 tsp. salt
1 T.          fresh chives
1 cup       non fat plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup    buttermilk
1 tsp.       Dijon mustard
1 tsp.       lemon juice
1/2-1       avocado

Instructions:

1.    Place the spices into a food processor and pulse a few times until the spices have been slightly ground up.
2.    Scrape down the sides.
3.    Place the remaining ingredients (greek yogurt, buttermilk, mustard, lemon juice, and avocado) into the food processor and pulse until the ingredients have been fully incorporated. Scrape down sides if necessary.
4.     If you want a thinner consistency, add more buttermilk.
5.     Put dressing in the fridge into a sealed jar or container.
6.     Eat and enjoy!

If you want more or less seasonings, please feel free to change it to how you like it.

Spaghetti Squash Noodles with Cashew Basil Pesto

Ingredients:
1 Spaghetti Squash
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup raw organic cashews
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 cups fresh basil
a little lemon zest
1 T. to 1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut squash down the middle and remove seeds. Put about 1 tsp. of olive oil in each half and spread it around with your fingers. Put the squash cut side down on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
3. Put garlic in food processor to finely chop.
4. Add all of ingredients except for the olive oil to the food processor.  Pulse it until slightly mixed then add the olive oil and continue to mix.
5. Once squash is cooked, scrape out the spaghetti noodles with a fork to keep the squash in a noodle type shape.
6. Gently stir the pesto in with the squash.
7. Dish up and eat. Delicious!!

Healthy Banana Bread

This banana bread is very moist and yummy! 

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup milk or Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2-3 bananas)
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour or a mixture of wheat and white
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, or walnuts, raisins

Instructions

1.     Pre-heat oven to 325 F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and set aside.

2.     In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside

3.     Pour batter into greased pan. Optional: sprinkle with some more cinnamon, raw sugar or banana slices.  

        Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, slice and enjoy,